


The Same Mistake Twice (A Flight Rising Pinkerlocke)

by Guardianite



Category: Flight Rising
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, Descriptions of Violence and Gore, Gen, LGBTQ Character, Post-Apocalypse, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 16:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18920740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardianite/pseuds/Guardianite
Summary: Centuries after the catastrophic explosion of Lightning's Tempest Highland Reactors, the latest generation of the End of Ages must survive everything from the dangerous journey across the world to the Shade-infested beasts that now wander it. Who will  thrive and embrace their element in a destroyed world and who will fall trying..?





	1. Prologue

_The world ended in a bright white light._

_In just one moment our kind went from thriving civilizations to scattered ashes. The memories of our clanmates and friends are nothing but burnmarks on the ruins left behind. The remaining now curse their Deities and the Boss for what happened. But was this really their doing, or have we simply become so independent in our own right that they couldn't stop us from pushing our curiosity to the limits? I don't know. I was never a religious one._

_I think it's been just over 10 days down here in this underground shelter. The Foreman says it should be safe to go back to the surface anytime soon, but I'm not sure I even want to go. Maybe survivors guilt is starting to grip me. Maybe I'm afraid of what I'll see out there. Or what I won't see. What I'll never see again. My hand is starting to shake. Is the rest of the continent standing? Are the Deities even still here? Will they help us? My head hurts. Erlyn was also acting weird yesterday. Said her scales were falling off and she wouldn't stop vomiting so Foreman ordered her to be quarantined in a storeroom nearby._

_They PROMISED it couldn't ever happen again. We'd come so far as one civilization on this planet to not make the same mistake twice._

 

_\- Excerpt from a memoir of an early survivor post-explosion._

 


	2. The Training Fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Training Fields chapter of the story from May 23rd to May 31st 2019.

 

### The Prank

"Bet you can't nick that silverfish from that satchel and get your butt back over here in one piece." A small voice hissed. Squished behind a limestone rock were two small creatures. One had a rather distinctive appearance to that of a Nocturne dragon. The other was a bipedal, almost humanoid with a striking crest of cyan feathers in a manner that was usually seen on the heads of Coatl dragons. It appeared they were both only in the younger years of their life which often meant only one thing was on their mind besides surrvival. Bringing mayhem.

"Wha-?" An even smaller voice squeaked, this one coming from the obviously more experienced one of the duo. "There's not even enough meat on that to feed us both! Why would I?"

The other more mischievous dragon grinned. "For the fun."

With a leap the dirt-coloured dragon darted out from their hiding spot and scampered towards the unattended satchel. The pale bipedal watched with widened grey eyes as her companion raided through the woven bag taking not just the fish but also arrows, some nylon, a chunk of bread, a bamboo chute-

"Nuz!" The bipedal squealed. "Stop and get back now! Someone's bound to notice!"

Nuz simply turned around and gave a cocky smile. "Oracle, rule of surviving is taking what you can before others take from you." The undisciplined Nocturne puffed out his chest like a renowned superstar in the spotlight as he repeated a quote long uttered by many before him. "If they really wanted it they woul-" Nuz's script was cut short and replaced by the shriek of Oracle as a stray arrow pierced into the Nocturnes shoulder. "...Oh."

Something crept silently through the field of tangled dead grass towards the bewildered youngsters. As Oracle leapt forward berating Nuz who simply shrugged it off, the mysterious character remained hidden and watched the two as they reached for another arrow to place into their crossbow. Until suddenly they were knocked back and engaged by a vengeful slap.

As the feathered creature shrilled and clawed at the strange metallic flesh of the archer, Nuz had taken a moment out of his semi-dramatic scene to gape at the fight unfolding in front of him. Never had he seen the normally timid and petite lady be smack in the middle of such violence. Then again, he hadn't seen much of her in general. They met only a week or two ago when she'd found him upside down in a Hunters trap and quickly ran off with him before either could be sent to the Arena to be fattened up and pitted against whatever was flavour of the month. His attention was snapped back to the matter at hand. "Hey! Oracle! Stop a minute! Maybe we can speak to the guy!" Nuz felt extremely weird. As if he and Oracle had swapped places and suddenly HE was the one caring too much about other people. He didn't like it. Yet he liked Oracle and didn't want to see her torn from him like the other companions had been along the way in his short life. He was getting soft. Shit.

The archer had managed to kick Oracle off of them and stood up slowly, hands raised in surrender. They seemed to know they were outnumbered, even with one injured.  
Oracle backed off and stood beside Nuz. Only a few torn feathers and a minor scratch marked her to Nuz's relief. Her senses came back to her and she looked directly at the emotionless face of the stranger. "There's more dangerous things to fight out there than each other. We should be helping one another to rebuild." She paused. "I'm sorry. To both of you..." Her face wrinkled. "I guess sometimes I just wish more of us could realise that."

The gloomy intruder lifted their head up with a sickening "click" and looked Oracle dead in the eyes. Everyone felt uncomfortable suddenly, especially Nuz who had learned to recognise that anything cybernetic or armoured things with a number on their body often meant danger or inevitable capture.

But then to everyone's surprise they spoke. "You feel their presence too?"

Before Oracle could answer they were all interrupted by the abrupt faintness of a hovering sound. Observer drone. "Yo crew, we need to scramble! Let's get outta here!" Nuz called out and the trio picked up whatever they could find and ran dependently towards the sickly chartreuse grass by the nearby woodland.

 

### The Day After

There was nothing quite like a roadside picnic when you've been running from captivity for bloodflies knows how long. Did it count as a picnic when all you had was a half-rotted silverfish, a chunk of bread you had to throw away because it got too moldy and sitting directly on the burnt grass because none of you had any kind of blanket?

The gloomy newcomer gazed into the distance and muttered seemingly to no one. "We'll have to go and find water and some more food eventually."

Nuz pouted. Between the three of them it was obvious he was not much of scavenger and even less so of a hunter. All his attempts so far have ended in almost capture or even a fatal end, yet he still managed to slip through deaths claws at the last minute. Maybe it was pure luck, or could something or someone really be watching over him out there..?

Suddenly Nuz came back around and yelped as he came snout-to-snout with the latest addition to his group who had noticed his daydreaming. "Woah there shiny! Who are you to think you can just start ordering us around when you don't even have a name?" Nuz questioned.

The gloomy one paused. "Gunnoda." was all they answered.

"Well, you Gunnoda be sorry to hear that there isn't much around here to hunt for an field mouse, let alone something to keep the three of us full up." Nuz couldn't stop a little chortle from escaping through his pun. Even Oracle had to place her hands over her mouth to hide her giggles. Gunnoda, as usual, was not amused. They pushed Nuz over and he tumbled backwards onto the baked twigs of the ground. Oracle finally burst into a fit of laughter and fell backwards herself as hot tears formed in her eyes from the sudden explosion of joy. Eventually Nuz also joined in and cracked up on the cracked ground. Even a spark glimmered in Gunnoda's eye for a brief moment as they felt a weird sensation they couldn't compute for once in their post-cyborganic enhancement life. Once the trio had gotten over their contagious symptoms of amusement they lifted themselves up and sat quietly for a few moments to catch their breath. Oracle then spoke. "Gunnoda is right though. We are going to have to find something to feed us into tomorrow."

Gunnoda nodded. "If I dare say so, our best bet is probably in the woodland over there. Hopefully some of the trees might have shielded some plant life that we can take if there isn't any other life there to hunt."

Oracle's face dropped like a stone into a river. "Wha-wait... THAT woodland? I've heard the stories of that place from a caravan I passed over once. Where there's massive vines that strangle dragons to death slowly and Janus plants that will swallow you whole and dissolve you?" The pale contessa whimpered in fear that Nuz did not like to see. That made the dirt-coloured Nocturne think.

"Huh, Oracle does have a point. We should maybe patrol around these fields first and train up before going in there." He thought out loud. His two companions looked over to him in disbelief. Nuz? Using common sense? Did they eat a shroom or was there something in the air?

Gunnoda huffed, but then shrugged. "It's up to you. As long as I can find some more decent sticks to make more arrows in these fields then I have no problem with joining you both. We should also start looking for a stream or waterhole of so-" before they could finish their lecture Oracle had bundled them up in her arms along with Nuz in a squeal of delight.

"So now we really are the wonder team of three!" She grinned. "As long as we are together, nothing can get in our way or hurt us!" Nuz beamed as Oracle squashed him in a flurry of feathered and tough scaled arms. Gunnoda simply took the sudden burst of love quietly.

"Nuz, Gunnoda, let's go and find us some field mouse butt to kick!"

 

### Kekki

"What _are_ you?" The inquisitive Nocturne lowered his snout until he came face-to-face with the small multi-limbed creature they had found crawling around with a scary-looking spider thing. Gunnoda had warned them not to approach but of course their two companions were amazed at the small wonders otherwise.

"Look at all those arms and fins!...cute!" Oracle cooed over the smaller one as they instinctively hugged the large golem spider in front of them.

"Hey. You're both scaring them." Gunnoda peered at the hatchling. "What's your name?"

The Mirror-like creature huffed. "Mmmph..." They looked over their golem, who - for a machine - looked equally bewildered. "...Nine Ninety Nine." They finally answered. Gunnoda nodded.

Oracle, however, wasn't very amused. "You need a better name than a bunch of numbers! I'm gonna call you...Kekki!" Both she and Nuz high-fived one another. "You shouldn't be out here all alone with just that thing. Join us please!"

Kekki pondered for a moment and fiddled with the spanner in one of their many hands. "...Sure. But Nine Ninety Nine is coming too."

 

### The Oracle's New Clothes

A bright cyan head emerged from the dusty black fur lining of the coat. "Hey gang! Do you think a hunter's dropped this or something..? It's really cozy! How do I look in it?"

"It's yours now. Period." Gunnoda answered.

"Me and Nine Ninety Nine say you should wear it and it's good for dust storms" Kekki replied as they sprawled out on top of his spider golem.

Nuz stood for a few moments bewildered. Sure, it was just an old weathered coat and nothing much else. However the moment he saw that cyan blue head emerge from the fluff it suddenly became not a coat. It was his weirdly cute feathery friend and she looked so happy in her new find that it made his insides feel very weird. Was this what the scavengers called a heart attack?

Everyone was staring at him.

"It's very good! I like it!" He spluttered at last.

"Well I FOUND IT..." Oracle began quietly.

"-I know!" Nuz interrupted. "And it's yours to have! You look cool in it!" He grinned to his friend.

"...thank you." Oracle smiled softly.

 

### The First Fight

"WOAH!" Nuz jumped as he dodged a very angry and very large bumble. "Nobody told me they were THAT LARGE!"

Oracle had been staying behind her brasher companions as they both went in to swipe and claw at the shrieking bumbles. 2 of them had ambushed them with full fury and thankfully Nine Ninety Nine had swept up Kekki and hidden them.

Oracle breathed in. With a deep exhale and swift movement of her hands she lunged forward a bolt of clouds towards one of the bumbles, knocking it backwards and ultimately knocking it out cold. Both her comrades and the remaining bumble were stunned.

"...What was that?!" Both Nuz and Gunnoda gasped in unison.

 

### Greed

Nuz flopped down on the makeshift bed of twigs and grass. Oracle turned over and yawned, peering at her knackered friend curiosly. "Where have you been?" She questioned him.

Nuz froze. "Uhhh..... well..." He stammered. "I was gonna go out and get some more uh..."

It was Oracle's turn to freeze. "Nuz! We've got a whole pile of food from last night alone! We don't need any more! There's even a weird looking bird sitting on it..WAIT." Oracle gasped and shot up from her frozen state. "Uhm...Gunnoda? There's something eating at our supplies!"

Gunnoda swiftly pounced from behind them in the manner of a feline launching a surprise attack to their prey. The bird - was it even a bird..? - screeched in protest as Gunnoda grappled their neck and tumbled forwards with them in claws. Kekki woke up with a jolt as the two shrieking combatants rolled towards their sleeping spot before Nine Ninety Nine the spider golem quickly whisked them out of their path.

Oracle called out after them. "Gunnoda! That's enough!"

Gunnoda huffed and let go of the feathered mess. The creature squawked weakly, with many eyes on its face blinking in confusion and bewilderment. Gunnoda felt almost sympathetic for it. The realisation struck that they were all fighting to survive a world they never asked to be born into. She picked it up - as the webwing whimpered in anticipation for a killing blow - and took it back up to where her three companions were now sitting fully awake. "Oracle, can we fix this one?" Gunnoda seemed desperate.

"Uhm...I think.. maybe we can? I've never fixed a weird eyed thingy before.." Oracle took a peek at the wheezing webwing that Gunnoda laid down on the nest. "Say, why the change of heart all of a sudden Gun? It was just stealing our food."

Gunnoda snapped suddenly to everyone's second surprise of that morning. "Look. DON'T call me Gun again. Just...don't." They breathed in and then took a deep exhale. "You know, this thing is just trying to do what it can to survive. Like us. What makes it different from us? That it can't speak? Can it even think?" Gunnoda face crumpled. "I wasn't even meant to think or speak! Is this all I am to you?" They pointed at the webwing now on the verge of falling into slumber. "Something not worth the life it's given?"

Nuz, Kekki and Nine Ninety Nine all stood dumbfounded. Oracle herself was now on the verge of tears.

"Gunnoda..." Oracle cracked. Now her face was crumpling and tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean anything like that." She sniffed. "Of course it's no different from us! It's just.." There was an awkward silence as Oracle struggled to choose her words. "I don't know! How can you tell who will be an enemy and who isn't?"

Gunnoda, now eerily calmed down, looked at the webwing and back to Oracle. "When a caravan of Hunters come into your village and destroys everything you've ever known right in front of your eyes and kidnaps your people to slave away in the name of greed for the rest of their lives or become experiments, that is when you know your enemy." They paused. "When a beast ambushes you and scatters your companions before chasing them down and shredding them to pieces one by one leaving you to watch helplessly then you know they're an enemy. But this..." Gunnoda took another helpless glance at the webwing. "..it didn't even give me a peck."

Oracle sniffled and Kekki nodded in solemn agreement. Nuz couldn't believe the transformation of Gunnoda from an emotionless survivor to breaking down all for a bird thing. Yet in the back of his mind he knew that Gunnoda had experienced something terrible in their past. So, so terrible.

Nuz suddenly spoke up. "Okay... let's just all take a moment and get over what's all happening. We fix up this...thing." He peered at the now obliviously snoring webwing. "Then we need to move on outta here. It's been a blast training up in these fields, but soon we gotta go through that woodland. This scuffle has probably brought around some attention from something out there."

As if nothing had happened, Gunnoda stiffened up and went to pat Oracle on the back. "Nuz is right. Let's pack up and put the thing on Nine Ninety Nine. I think I know somewhere where we can take a shortcut into the woodlands.


	3. The Woodland Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Woodland Path chapter of the story from June 2nd to June 9th.

 

### Lost Freedom

"We've finally made it!" Nuz exclaimed joyously. Almost too joyously. "The Woodlands!"

"Sssh. Keep it down." Gunnoda hissed. The snap of a twig quickly hushed the three fighters. "Oh da-"

They were interrupted as a snarling cat-like bamboo creature sprung out of the shadows and leapt towards them. "EVERYONE, FLEE!" Nuz shouted.

"NO!" Shouted back Gunnoda. "We must push on!" And to everyone's horror they charged at the drooling beast. More beasts emerged from the thick forest shrubbery, and the two heroes tried desperately to call to their companion. They ignored them.

When they both returned later that night with Kekki and Nine Ninety Nine sneaking along the moonlight, they were met by the agonising reality. Their friend, who'd just truly begun living their life as a free being, was dead.

 

### The Stone

"I think." Began Oracle quietly. "I think we need more time to train ourselves and Kekki especially." The webwing from yesterday curled up in her lap. Even it seemed to know that something terrible had happened. Oracle ran her fingers through its silky mane.

Nuz simply nodded. They had been doing nothing ever since they found that discovery yesterday. Hunger and thirst pained at their stomachs but the grief drowned them under waves of ignorance. Kekki, elsewhere, seemed oblivious to the mourning. They were holding some sort of weird rock in one pair of arms.

"..Kekki? What is that?" Oracle questioned.

"I don't know." They answered. "It has some sort of brown colour to it. Maybe one of you's should try and touch it?"

Nuz jumped up. "Maybe..maybe we can use that to avenge Gunnoda!" He exclaimed. He pounced over to Kekki and held the mysterious stone...

 

### Vengeance

The trio breezed through the Woodlands, fueled by rage and determination both. 'Perhaps it was a necessary sacrifice' Oracle thought as she fired an arrow from her late companions crossbow. The webwing that had grown close to them flew around their heads, squawking whenever they noticed an unusual movement.

"I think" Kekki muttered as they poked the fire of their small camp. They were all now deep in the Woodland. There was no going back now. "That the key to surviving is not fighting everything we see. But to take time to gather our strength. To understand who we are and what our abilities can do." They were becoming quite the seasoned warrior for the baby of the group.

Nuz nodded. "Maybe we should make baby Kekki the leader of this group!" He chuckled.

"Nah, we're all our own leaders." Kekki replied as they began to fiddle with one of Nine Ninety Nines bent legs. They were smiling a little though at the praise. "So Nuz? How did that rock thing work out?"

"I..." Nuz pondered. "I felt...something? But it didn't work otherwise..."

"Keep trying." Both Kekki and Oracle smiled. It was then Nuz noticed a similar device sitting besides Oracle along with another, taller device.

"Hey! You've got two!" Nuz gasped.

"I know.." Oracle looked down at them. "Which one calls to me most..?" She wondered.

 

### Florence

The trio of Oracle, Nuz and Kekki continued pushing through the Woodland. "Will this forest ever end?" Nuz groaned. Sure to their progress the forest canopy did seem to begin disappearing above them. What were likely once lush leaves covering all kinds of life from the scorching sun were now becoming less and less visible. In their place, burnt twigs and gaps of sunlight where trees had fallen now became the scenery.

"It looks like there's been a fire here recently..." Kekki paused to examine the ground. Nine Ninety Nine also scanned the area where the multi-limbed creature was crouching. They then stood up. "Positive. That's ash. We should be careful."

"Well, you don't say knuckle-head. What have we been doing the past couple days?" Nuz snapped out of exhaustion. He had been raised in a desert, what did they expect? Besides that, heavy feelings of guilt still drowned in the pool of his conscience.

"What I'm saying is we've already lost one to carelessness." Kekki uttered to no-one in particular.

Nuz finally broke. "GUNNODA KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING!"

"HEY! WILL YOU BOTH QUIT IT?" Oracle was getting emotional again. Memories of Gunnoda's body flooded back into her mind, and now her only remaining companions were bickering and for what?

"The blue one's right." A voice suddenly appeared. It was deep, yet ambiguous. Crackling like the charred twigs littering the scene. "Get over it. They're close." Suddenly a bipedal form pushed its way through a mess of branches. It looked quite similar to Oracle, but more draconic in appearance. They also sported a pair of torn, brown-coloured feather wings.

The trio froze in caution. Oracle finally spoke up after a brief second. "Wh-wh-who is close?" She whispered.

"A pack of SQUALL's Hunters. If you let me join you, we can outrun them and you can help me against this forest." The mystery dragon beckoned to them. "I also see you've got a few...battle stones...with you. I could help you understand them..."

 

### New Allies, New Problems

The Woodland was now becoming less and less of its featured namesake. The air surrounding the gang of misfits was becoming unbearably hot and thick. While Nuz was used to the choking reality of sandstorms in his youth this was a whole new level of respiratory hell. Poor Oracle was unbearably hot in her claimed coat, her feathers were sticky and clumped together in the most sickly manner. Even Oda - the now named webwing - was cawing in protest as they panted onwards above everyone's heads.

"How has it become so hot all of a sudden?" Oracle complained and quite rightly so. She huffed a strand of frizzy hair out of her face.

Florence quickly answered. "It's only a rumour, but I heard the plans for it being burned is to make way for another robotics laboratory." She seemed to shudder at the idea and whispered promptly. "I never told you anything."

The other three uttered in confusion but eventually left the subject. Until Florence spoke up again. "..you do realise that creeper bot tagging along with us is probably tracking our every movement, yeah?"

"You mean Nine Ninety Nine?" Oracle gasped. Nuz however turned to look at Kekki trailing behind with the spider. The face of the multi-limbed adolescent was painted with a fury Nuz had never seen pictured before.

"If they were, I wouldn't have joined this parade." Kekkie snarled. "Of course there's no tracker on them. I've made sure of it."

Florence took a step back. Nuz and Oracle were simply confused. They knew most robotic things were bad - save for the angel that was Gunnoda, and they STILL debated whether they wanted to know the story behind her cyborganic form or not - but could a small spider really tell someone where they were at that very moment?

After an awkward silence Florence spoke up again. "Look, I understand you're probably real close to that thi-"

"You don't understand shade blot." Kekki mumbled harshly.

Now Nuz and Oracle gaped at one another with an open mouth expression. "-I." Florence stumbled. Another awkward moment of silence passed.

"Nine Ninety Nine is staying. They aren't tracking nobody. Now Kekki, Nuz, Florence let us just have a few hours to THINK and PLAN please? Is that too much to ask?" Oracle was practically pleading for sanity amongst her companions at this rate. "We need to find somewhere to camp! And I can't decide whether we should go back into the Woodland or go forward."

"Going forward is the only option we have." Said Kekki coldly. "Oracle and Nuz both saw a drone back in the fields, so they're searching there. We can find a way around in the trees." They glared at Florence. "Then you can help us understand the battle stones better like you said you would."

Before Florence could reply Nuz interrupted with his innocent grin. "Right then! Around it is!" Despite his cheerful exterior, Nuz himself was nervous. How did what was meant to be a small prank end up becoming all this? He asked himself.

 

### Strength At A Cost

"I promised I would show you how these battle stones worked." Said Florence as she sharpened her claws on a makeshift nail filer. "What better way than to do it in battle?"

"Wait." Nuz paused. "You mean we're just gonna go out and pick a fight with some beast?"

"Pretty much." Replied Florence. Oracle said nothing, but looked rather uncomfortable.

Kekki scoffed. "You won't catch me partaking in such tomfoolery. I'm gonna go and source out some berries. Nine Ninety Nine scanned a cluster of blackberry bushes just north of here." Florence didn't give them any attention.

"Oracle? You coming with us?" She asked the cyan girl.

"Y-yeah, I should. Have fun Kekki and Nines..." She wandered off with Florence and Nuz, leaving the young one behind.

_[After a few battles with the Woodland beasts...]_

"Do you feel something when you touch these?" Florence whispered. Nuz and Oracle seemed...amazed.

"...I feel strong." Mumbled Oracle.

"How are these things working..?" Questioned Nuz.

Florence's expression changed from curious to ecstatic. "I had the feeling when I first saw you both that you would be one of those ones!" As quickly as her expression changed she painted her face with worry. "Now we really need to hide."

 

### Teamwork

"Florence, Kekki, could you both come over here for a moment?" Oracle called out to the two. They weren't bickering, but it was obvious amongst the whole group that the silent treatment they gave one another was not meant to be a friendly gesture.

However it was also obvious that Oracle was worrying. Nuz had slipped out after yesterdays blackberry feast and has been gone all night. Even worse, he had told Kekki briefly that he was only going out to reclaim a stone he dropped. Although Nuz was the moral support and makeshift "leader" of the ragtag group, he wasn't precisely the best at decision making - or telling his companions of his motives to sneak out for that matter.

Kekki scampered over to their blue friend and Florence stopped her nail filing to follow suit. Both made the effort to avoid one another but give their full attention to what Oracle was about to say. Oracle sighed. "We need to go out and find Nuz-"

"Sure." Replied Florence. Kekki huffed in agreement.

"-and I need you both to at least tolerate each other more than ever now. Nuz... has become a close friend to me. I know, I know... he isn't the best survivor in the world, but he is my bestest friend. And I hope you both know that we both would do the same for you if anything happened." Oracle finished.

Kekki nodded and scampered to ready their satchel. Florence however seemed to stay where she was. "I know he's close to you and all, but if...they have got to them first, then we shouldn't risk it trying to save him." She finally spoke. Before Oracle could reply she continued. "I've been in the same chapter as you before, girl. Believe me when I say love isn't worth capture or dying for."

Oracle glared daggers at the Wildclaw-creature. "Let us go now, Florence." She picked up her bow and turned towards the charred bushes.


	4. The Scorched Forest

 

### Lost and Found

After what appeared to be eternity the group of three reached the end of their chapter in the Woodland Path. What now lay in front of them was a scene of total destruction. Pools of lava gathered waiting to snap at the feet of unwary travellers and the distance became a gathering of charred black trees holding out to the smoky sky. Oracle gulped nervously and even Florence appeared to be biting her lip. "So..." drawled the Wildclaw. "Do we continue on?"

Oracle took a small deep breath of the smoky air. "Of course we do. There's no going back now."

"You sound like that weird Kekki of ours." She replied. "Erm..." Florence turned around and her eyes widened. "Oracle? Where's Kekki?"

"Wh-what do you mean? He was right beside us!" Oracle whipped around and was shocked to the empty sight Florence was also seeing. "Oh....oh no..."

"Listen." Florence turned Oracle to look at her in the eyes. "We're gonna find them. We're going to be okay." In a sudden change of heart Florence pulled Oracle close and hugged her tight. Then her ears perked up as a very faint cry bellowed over the horizon. "Oracle? Is that them?"

They both stood in silence and listened again. Oracle almost choked. She recognised that cry. It was the cry of a dirt-brown Nocturne caught up in a trap, swinging upside down in the air. Except this wasn't a trap. He was ambushed and fighting for his life. "N-NUZ!" To her sudden surprise Florence lifted her up and leapt into the direction of the struggling cries.

The two arrived just in time to lunge themselves at a burly centaur Hunter. Nuz lay on the ground, bleeding heavily and in shock, but the moment he saw his two companions he fell into a familiar peace. Oracle shrieked with everything she had, slashing and scratching the beast in the manner of a mother bird defending her chicks from a drooling wildcat. Florence kicked it hard in the fore knees, knocking it down in an agonising wail.

Before Nuz could alarm them of the danger, two sharp-toothed and frightening jackalopes appeared from the unknown. Even the centaur appeared surprised and somewhat fearful for it's life. The most daring one, drenched in forest muck and lava splodges, growled and pounced towards the weakened centaur and the girls. The other - extinguished compared to its sibling - circled the exhausted Nuz drifting in and out of consciousness.

He smiled as he heard his beloved Oracle shouting out to him. "Nuz!! You have to get up! MOVE!" She cried. She tried to push herself over to him but was suddenly slammed down with a thud by the centaur in the confusion. "Nuz..."

Lifting himself up, he steadied his hat on his head and grinned. The moment had come and the jackalope lunged at him with full force. He grinned even more to the sky and called. "For His blessing is not to each day you live, but the time spent with ones who made those days worth living."

And just like that, silence drafted over the battlefield.

 

### Advanced

Florence carefully wrapped up the remaining food into the leather bag. She then sprawled back down onto the ground in the shadow of a large, burned oak tree beside Oracle and the familiar Oda who had curled up in her arms. It had been days since they had laid a finger of combat on anything or anyone. It had also been days since Kekki had vanished into the unknown and Nuz had vanished in front of their very eyes.

Florence then felt a soft clawed hand reach out and touch her side. Oracle stirred and opened her eyes wide. They were puffy and sore looking, the star of the show in days of mourning and worrying. She sighed and begun fiddling with the sleeping Oda's plumage. "Any sign of Kekki..?" She whispered.

"Not yet, hun." Florence replied. She never dared tell her feathered companion that she had given up on any sign of their missing friend reappearing. Yet Florence had accompanied wanderers of all kinds and she had never grown any kind of emotion to them before now. If they died or went missing - then presumed captured or dead - she learned that grieving was a luxury beings like her could not afford. They had to be advanced beyond their emotions, she had been told, yet just sitting beside Oracle and washing her swollen face with cool water from their sheepskin bottle was suddenly rewiring her whole outlook on life.

Oracle picked herself up from the dirty ground and leaned against the oak. Breathing in and out heavily, she looked out to the horizon of never-ending smog and ash. Florence watched her in a state of curiosity and concern before turning her head to follow her companions eyes.

Few moments of silence passed over the lava lands. Until in one moment Oracle leaned forward and peered towards a multi-legged figure creeping in-between the smog. "Eh-?" Florence stood up and was shocked by the appearance of what seemed like large, yellow eyes trailing behind the figure.

"God fucking damn it." She frowned. "Oracle, we need to get moving. We've been found."

"Wait, there's a smaller one." Oracle pointed to a spider-looking figure now following beside the eyes. Florence's eyes were now widened.

"Oracle we need to go."

"I think it's...."

"Oracle." Florence stood firmly.

A voice shouted before Florence could speak. "Oracle!? ...I'm sorry!" Familiar colours now ran towards the two confused survivors. A spider golem and a violet-hued multi-limbed dragon were in sight.

Oracle cried out and ran towards Kekki and Nine Ninety Nine. Oda woke with a screech of surprise and hurtled after her, soaring along the smoggy ground. The blue hybrid leapt and picked up the young one with her arms and pulled them into a tight hug. "I thought you were truly gone...." Oracle trailed.

Kekki shook themselves from a moment of surprise and returned a tight hug back to Oracle. "Nuz...he's gone. I'm so, so sorry Oracle." Multiple of Kekki's eyes welled up with hot tears. "I wanted to save him. I saw the centaur stalking us three so I tried to chase him away then Nuz..." Kekki's voice broke. "He appeared all of a sudden and Nines took me away then-"

Florence now joined the reunited group. "You said Nines whisked you away? It..saved you?" She interrupted.

Kekki wiped multiple tears away with multiple hands. "They just know to recognise danger. They couldn't understand that I was trying to help. Oracle, I'm sorry-"

"Hush." Oracle was now oddly calm. Her own pained expression melted away into that of a caring goddess tending her worshipers. "Kekki, You..." She pondered for a moment. "..you advanced beyond what you were days ago. You evolved." Oracle held one of her bewildered companions wings. "Your patterns have changed."

Kekki whirled around in an attempt to see their so called new patterns. "Wha? I didn't feel any weird earlier?...I need to analyse this."

The three remaining laughed as the sun broke through the choking smog with a breath of fresh air. Oda cawed in a state of calm as Nine Ninety Nine lowered down into a hibernate state.

 

### The Promising Scientist

They were constantly running. Merely a few hours ago the reunited three were cheerfully laughing and resting their tired muscles but now they fled like there lives depended on it. Their lives did depend on it.

"It's no use." Florence panted as they hid behind a large rock. "There's simply too many centaurs around here. Someone obviously knows we're here and they want us gone. They'll keep sending more."

"Why?" Oracle gasped for air under the choking smog. "Why..?"

Florence didn't answer. Whether it was to save her breath or keep Oracle from information that could see her into another phase of worrying none of them knew. She touched her own shoulder where a rotting sensation of acid stung her flesh. Whoever was sending these mercenaries, be it SQUALL or some other warmonger with enough power, had somehow engineered these beasts with elements believed to have been drained by the Shade so long, long ago. She looked over to where Oracle was also tending a frozen patch spreading down her arm. It didn't seem to affect her painfully. Florence hoped that she was right when she knew that Oracle held a deep, connecting elemental power within her.

Kekki remained eerily quiet during the scene. Suddenly they pointed to a gap through the rock. "Look..."

Three golem-like creature - similar to Nine Ninety Nine but with the obvious shaping of felines - were creeping along the murky ground. Dirt covered their chassis and charred leaves burst through cracks in their joints. They were catching a scent.

Oracle, now ice-free, readied herself. "Prepare for another round, everyone."

But nobody had time to prepare. Before they knew it the three hissing golems were in front of them. One was oozing with green, sickly essence that Oracle felt a connection with. She needed to defeat it.

Three on three they fought hard, but the slash of their claws that previously could have weakened the flesh of other beast were doing nothing to the stone of the golems. Oracle flew into a frightening fit of rage, scratching and slashing the cocky-looking sentries. Florence kept her cool, knowing deep down how much Oracle wanted to tap into her small amount of magic and obliterate the beasts. However, she also knew it would do nothing against something of the same element.

For Kekki, when they weakly picked themselves up and saw the oozing magical golem powering a bolt towards them, they knew that their end was near. Their two companions could only watch in horror as they tore themselves from their own battles. Nine Ninety Nine - as the faithful re-engineered sentry they were - rushed forward in one final attempt to save the promising scientist. The bolt of pure magic sent them both flying back in a small explosion.

Through the blurs of their companions screaming and the pounding of their footsteps as they ran, Kekki held Nines in their arms one last time and slipped into the blissful darkness of forever.

 

### Walking Over Graves

"Oracle." Florence began softly. "There's nothing we could have done to prevent them from falling." The matronly Wildclaw ran her fingers through the younger girls feathers softly. The usually emotional Oracle was now sitting silently speculating in front of two dug holes marked into the ground side-by-side. Graves.

Florence held her head down. "I need to tell you the truth."

Oracle slowly stirred from her perch. She turned her neck to look Florence in the eyes. "What do you mean, 'the truth'? I understand the nature of survival. Not everyone makes it-"

"No." Florence interrupted. "You clearly don't know how things are around here now. And what it is in you that makes you such a target."

Oracle looked confused. "Wait...you're meaning to say we're being targeted especially?" She gasped.

"Settle down. I'm gonna tell you a story." Florence breathed out. "You've heard the tales of how the world ended. How our ancestors survived the explosions and the devastated world that came after it." She continued. "Before that, there were Eleven deities. Each created from their own element which passed into their children and their realms. Yours, Oracle" Florence leaned forwards to poke Oracle in the chest. "Is undoubtedly the Gladekeeper's Nature."

Oracle blinked. "Gladekeeper's Nature..?"

Florence once again interrupted. "When the explosion occurred, they suddenly vanished. Many will speculate that they had given up on the foolishness of dragonkind, or maybe were even killed by the explosion of the reactors. Others like me believe that they were simply weakened when their followers cursed them for the devastation." She paused to breathe. "With no gods to protect the world, the horrific devourer of magic - The Shade - spread at unholy speed across the world. The Shade is a corrupter of lifeforms, twisting the elements in them and feeding on them to grow bigger and more powerful in order to use their host to destroy even more remains of the elements." Florence shuddered. "It can corrupt anything from a blade of grass to a webwing to even you or me..."

Oracle watched and listened in a mixture of awe and fear. Oda cawed uneasily beside her.

Florence drawled on. "In the absence of the Eleven and by manipulating Shade, there was a few who took the opportunity to rise up as overlords of the new Age. These...demons who somehow grew to rule with unholy power beyond that of us lowlanders. It's unknown how many there is across the world altogether, but here specifically in the south-east is where ones like SQUALL and The Matriarch have a tight hold." Florence's voice lowered to barely a whisper. "Whenever a being with an abnormal potential of elemental magic is discovered, The Matriarch will stop at nothing to have them killed. Rumours fly over why, but it's no rumour that she fears anyone who could topple her reign of terror." The Wildclaw sighed. "For especially high threats, she sends the demi-Lightning god SQUALL and his Hunters out to find them. Except he has a sick idea of forcing his prisoners fight to the death for Matriarch's amusement instead of destroying them outright. When you found me back there, I had barely escaped imprisonment."

Oracle was now looking down at the ground. It was a lot to take in, but understandable as to why she was only finding out now about the evil that lurked beyond. Her former wandering tribe must've known she had a high potent of Nature magic in her and protected her from knowing she was twice as likely to die out in the wilds as anyone.

Oracle finally spoke up again. "Nuz...Kekki...did..they?" She stumbled.

Florence nodded. "Nuz had to have been one of the most dynamic Earth dragons I had ever seen. Kekki wasn't so elementally strong, but they had an intelligence and curiosity that likely threatened The Matriarch otherwise."

Oracle looked at her hands. "It..is starting to make sense I guess. The stones with the shapes on them. The beasts being so violent." She clenched her fists. "Back there I felt a connection with one of the golems, the one with the leaking green stuff. Was that Nature?"

Florence nodded. "Yes. I have no idea how they're engineering such magic like that, and at this point I'm afraid to find out."

"Well." Oracle began. Her face became hardened. Like the surrounding scorched nature around her she stood up regardless to the pain and scars. Like a goddess warring with her decaying sister. "We need to survive. And we need to make sure no other being falls like Nuz and Kekki." She looked to Florence. "Will you stay with me?"

Florence chuckled softly. "You sound like someone I used to know. Foolish, but also smart. Of course I'm sticking by you. I believe in you."

 

### Back To Basics

The two survivors and their webwing chose to avoid any confrontation for the time being. After several hours of scouting through the trademark smog and avoiding pools of lava they both stumbled across what appeared to be a hollowed out and very large tree hidden underneath layers of charred canopy. A quick peek inside it and around the nearby area with aerial confirmation from Oda later and the companions settled inside and exhaustively fell onto the crunchy twigs and leaves.

The evening and night slipped away through hours of sleeping. When dawn broke through the canopy Oracle found herself being awoken by the caws of Oda in her ear as the webwing demanded a brush of their plumage or punishment in the form of pokes from their webbed talons. She smiled, raising a hand to webwing as it began to purr weirdly.

Florence was already awake when Oracle stretched and yawned. They had both been very quiet to one another since yesterdays confessions.

"Hey Oracle. Is it okay if we try something?" Florence broke the record silence. Oracle looked over to her inquisitively.

"What is it?" She replied.

"It's something I've been wondering. It's something Nuz told me a while back. He said you cast a bolt of some sort when you were in the fields." Florence bit her lip upon mentioning the late closest friend of both of them, especially to Oracle.

"Oh! I think, I'm not really sure how I did that..." Oracle pursed her lips. "It was more like a gust of wind came out of nowhere? I don't know how to do again..." She trailed into a whisper.

Florence smiled reassuringly. "Don't overthink it. It's quiet for miles around here. We can practice."

Some time later the two girls had prepped themselves for Oracle's attempt. Florence seemed particularly excited though she hid it well. Oda was pecking around brainlessly like a chicken in their coop, unaware of what their keeper was about to try. Oracle herself was following Florence's advice and trying not to overthink - but everything she took in yesterday and everything she had seen whirled around her mind like a hurricane destructively destroying her thoughts and concentration.

She breathed out the tension. "Florence, how do I even start?"

Florence hummed for a moment in thought. "I don't know. Just imagine those rocks over there are beasts?" She pointed to the said cluster of blackened rocks ahead.

Oracle breathed back in. Out. In. Imagine they were beasts. Or golems. Imagine. Just imagining... Gunnoda was lying there. Nuz. The jackalopes snarling. The patch of rot in Florence's shoulder. The three golems-

Oracle bit her lip hard. Kekki. A feline golem in the distance leaking Nature magic.

With a sudden force of anger Oracle conjured an epic bolt out of her hands. The impact smashed into one of the rocks, cracking it before vines and thorns snaked their way through the opened stone. The cluster shattered to pieces, in its place sprouted blades of green grass and other leafy vegetation. Florence was gobsmacked. Oracle gritted her teeth roughly and growled, looking for more danger.

"Oracle?" She fanned her friend with her wings and held Oracle's shoulders. "It's okay. Calm down now. Please."

Oda curiously trotted over to the sight of the impact. They began to caw continuously. Then they started scratching at the ground with their feet. Oracle finally snapped out of her spell. "What's Oda doing..?" The two rushed over to where the webwing cawed inquisitively.

"Well well!" Florence butted Oda to the side and begun digging through the rubble and plant life. "Amazing work, look what you've found us Oracle! There may be some food or coin in here..."

 

### Rings of Power

"Ugh." Oracle pushed herself up and rolled over with a grunt. A headache throbbed in her temples and her shoulder blades sunk down like bricks in mud. She glanced to Florence who was - unsurprisingly - filing her claws nearby as Oda watched guard above.

"Florence?" Oracle inquired. "I feel...weird. Does my head look weird?"

The Wildclaw looked over to her curious companion. She stopped what she was doing and peered closer.

"Was your belly always so blue? I thought it had a maize-ey colour to it before."

"Uh...." Oracle peeked down the openness of her large coat where, indeed, the colour of her belly was in fact different than it was mere hours ago. No longer maize. Just a darkly cyan blue spotted with little markings.

By now Florence had come over to fully inspect the phenomenon. Oda too had arrived to spectate the spectacle. "Oracle?" Florence questioned. "You have rings all over your cheeks and feathers and BEHIND!"

"WHAT?"

 

### Quint

A figure sat alone in a distant place. Muck and leaf litter clung to his emerald coat like young hatchlings to their mother. A shiny brass emblem glimmered on their breast, twinkling on the faint sunlight hidden by the choking smog of the Scorched Forest. Sharp spines ran down his back and pierced out of his paws and along the arms of their wings. Yet despite this unnerving appearance, the creature sporting them was actually wiping the tears away their sorry face.

Quint sniffled. He didn't know where he was and frankly he didn't want to care. He felt like a failure and was one. The Hunter had now become the hunted.

_[Not far away, unaware of the moping Ridgeback]_

Florence and Oda were continuing to gawk at Oracle's new markings. Her headache had disappeared, and she now had the freedom to completely examine the new ringlet-like appearance of her skin and feathers. "It's so strange." Oracle mumbled. "How can something like this just happen?"

Florence smiled softly. "Maybe it's something to do with your magic potential." She bit her lip. Before she could say any more, though, they were all interrupted by the whinny of an equine. A panicked unicorn galloped into their makeshift hideout, squealing and running in confused circles before disappearing back into the smog. Oda was now also screeching and shot after the panicking unicorn. Florence's eyes widened and Oracle called out. "Oda! Come back here!" Except the webwing didn't return, so the two companions also ran onwards after the rebellious familiar.

What felt like an eternity running ended with a mixture of hooves, claws, wings, and tails knotted together like runaway balls of yarn. After a few moments of confusion the mob had untangled themselves and sat up in a daze. The unicorn whinnied happily beside Quint, reunited with the one they were looking for.

In a brief moment Florence caught the eye of the weepy Ridgeback and suddenly gasped.

"Don't I know _you_...?"

 

### Rebel's Life

"Okay okay so... I suppose you want me to explain why I'm here sobbing me wee eyes out instead of hunting pests like you down?" sniffled Quint. His clawed hand reached down to pet the now calmed unicorn neighing happily at his side. Oracle knelt down and sat beside the weepy dragon. She looked into his face and dark grey eyes. She could've sworn she saw the figures of regret and grief dancing in the windows to his emotions, twirling viciously like a destructive storm breaking through the glass pane.

There was silence as everyone came to their senses. Then Oracle slowly reached a hand to Quint's tear-stained face and wiped a tear away. "It's okay. It's okay..." she repeated softly. Florence simply stood and watched. She recognised the Hunter, but it appeared fate had turned against him. Once a feared menace to the land, he had become the very thing he was brainwashed to hunt down. Still, trust didn't come easy to the Wildclaw.

All of a sudden Oda appeared in front of them. Distracted by something else whilst chasing the unicorn, they held a beaten brimmer hat in their sharp beak. A fabric hat of maroon finished with a silver buckle. Quint was quick to recognise it and pointed to the mischievous bird. "H-he-hey! That's me hat!"

Oracle tutted to the webwing and pulled it out of their beak. Rather than handing it to the Ridgeback she simply plopped it onto his head, taking care to mind his spikes. Quint turned red.

"Well, Oda just found it for you." Florence butted in. "So, why exactly are you here crying like you've just lost your whole career?" She sneered.

Both Quint and Oracle winced. "That doesn't matter. Clearly he's lost in every sense of the word. Please, do you have a safe place we can take you? Or..." She was interrupted by the Ridgeback choking out a sad giggle.

"A safe place? Please, I'm probably the most wanted ex-Hunter in this part of the realm. If I go anywhere near civilization I'll be shredded to pieces."

"See!" Florence burst out. "He's a wanted man and a Hunter. We can't take him in with us Oracle."

"Florence." Oracle glared daggers to her companion. "Who else do we have? Who else does HE have? We agreed to help other survivors along with ourselves." She quickly silenced the Wildclaw as she raised a finger in projection. "Don't even try to argue with me." Oracle hissed.

She then turned to Quint. "You can join us or you can keep running alone. Your choice is needed now."

Oracle could've sworn she saw the regret and grief lift from his eyes into a glimmer of hope and gratitude.

 

### Sweet & Sour

The silence in the smoggy air was abruptly filled by the growls of hungry stomachs. Quint grumbled. "It's been days since my rations ran out. Do you two...possibly...have anything at all...? Sorrypleasethanks" He fumbled his thumbs at the daring question and whistled nervously.

Florence rolled her eyes. "Even if we did, why are we obliged to share it with someone who would've trapped or killed us merely weeks ago?"

Suddenly Florence yelped at a sharp poke in her side from Oracle. "If it was weeks ago, then it doesn't matter today. The three of us need to go and scavenge some supplies." Oracle took control and commanded quickly. Florence couldn't help but admire the seasoned, battle-hardened warrior Oracle was becoming. Quint was just thankful someone was sticking up for him for once. He quickly caught himself blushing again and hid in his coat.

"Now." Oracle continued. "I dare say we should try a new approach. An ambush, if you will. I think we are capable of it."

As she breathed with confidence the ringlet markings on her hide glowed softly. This power had come at a heavy cost, but Oracle was beyond determined that her fallen friends guided her every move and thought. The thought of facing another jackalope or golem sickened her to her stomach, yet she could've sworn that she heard the playful laughter of Nuz behind her. The clanking of tools and muttering of Kekki beside her. Even the silent presence of Gunnoda guiding her fingers in her inherited crossbow.

"So?" Florence questioned her out of a daydream. "We're doing this?"

"Yes." Oracle breathed out in reply.

 

### Souvenirs

It was already lingering in the air by the time the three companions had come upon the rusted remains of the structure. The stench of uneasiness, fear of the unknown and reeking damp ash. Quint peered around nervously, as if he was afraid. Florence and Oracle were also feeling his fear. They couldn't quite grasp what it was, but something here felt wrong.

They had just been battling against some wild Zeeba when they noticed a strange metallic point jutting between the branches of the skeletal trees. Curiosity got the better of them and eventually Oda shot off to investigate, so they chased after them. Now, towering above them like a menacing giant was this strange place. Tattered parchment littered the floor and knocked over desktops. Strange screens that had not seen a single spark of electricity in decades hung from the wall, smashed and devoid of any glass they once held.

Quint made his signature nervous whistle. "Looks like this place hasn't been touched in years."

"How do you know?" Questioned Oracle. "It looks more like a gang of misfits and thieves ransacked this place."

"Look." Quint made his way to one of the screens. One that wasn't as smashed in as the others. He pressed a button jarring out from the side of it. Nothing. "Hmm...this one doesn't look as badly damaged as the others. We might be able to get it to work again." He paused and bit his lower lip. "...maybe we could try magic."

Florence suddenly screamed out and stood firmly upwards, ready to defend. "It's a trap! I knew it!"

"No!" shouted Quint in desperation. "Please! Listen-listen to me! I'm not trying to get you's caught or hurt you-!" He seemed on the verge of tears. "I just thought this place could tell us something...something about the Old Ages." He wept.

Oracle blinked. "What do you want me to do..?"

"Outta the way. Let me look at it."

Suddenly Florence was in front of the screen, picking up the snake-like wires from the floor and crouching down to carefully poke them into some white jagged hole in the wall. Like a gear in a machine she took care to bend and thread the wires together as Oracle watched in awe. Quint also looked over, taking in every movement Florence made in an attempt to learn from her. Deep inside he knew for what she lacked in elemental strength she, like Kekki before her, held another talent that easily threatened Matriarch. He drew a long, uneasy breath.

The screen sparked into life.

"The world ended in a bright white light. In just one moment our kind went from thriving civilizations to scattered ashes. The memories of our clanmates and friends are nothi-"

As the shattered vision of a group of draconic creatures filled half of the lightly cracked screen and droned on with their log Quint found himself absolutely fixated to the vision. Oracle stood beside him, mouth agape and stunned. Florence was less surprised than her companions, staring blankly at the socket in the wall. As sudden as the vision appeared it disappeared and the screen blinked back into darkness.

"...Are you happy now?" She finally broke the silence of the damp room.

Neither Quint nor Oracle could answer with words. Both stood stunned in front of the sparkling screen. Finally they were snapped out of their trance by the shrill caw of Oda from a hole in the wall. The webwing had been scouring the room and found pile on pile of coins and papers with draconic faces etched into them. "Would you look at that." Florence smiled. "Our old friends on the screen left us some souvenirs."

 

### Hearts and Crafts

The trio returned to their hideout after their adventure in the room of screens and the unexpected presentation from the unnamed dragon of so long ago. After having secured their pilfered treasures with the rest of their savings Florence decided to take a stroll alone with the unicorn. Patrolling, she had said.

Quint and Oracle were left to their own devices. The Ridgeback took some old bones they'd scavenged (could you believe some people stored their bones in bottles? How do they even get them to fit?) and some thread from his coat and was quietly humming his collection together in a corner. Oracle left him alone, not wanting to disturb his peace and instead taking on the more unpleasant task of pinning down Oda so she could pick the tick bugs from her plumage. The webwing didn't have as much respect for the silence and shrieked loudly in protest.

Time passed between the two when Quint cleared his throat nervously and shuffled over to Oracle. "Hey erm..uh.." He coughed into his arm. "I...got this for you." He quickly dropped the makeshift necklace in Oracle lap before speeding back over to his corner. Oracle let go of Oda who shot off into the sky like a rocket, now free of their torturous bug maintenance. She carefully picked up the necklace, taking in the details of every sparrow skull, purple and green feathers, and beads.

"Quint!" She cried out. The Ridgeback crumpled into a nervous ball within his coat. "Oh...I'm sorry. It's just this is so beautiful." She paused. "Thank you."

"You're welcome" came a reply of relief from the coat as a familiar pointy head re-emerged. "I just wanted to thank YOU for everything you've given me. You had no reason to trust a stranger, let alone one like me." He sighed.

Before he could react Oracle had shifted over to his corner and held him in a big, warm, feathery hug. Quint turned red. "That's a risk I'm willing to take if it means I have a chance of changing the world, Quint." Oracle muttered softly. "And I am so glad you chose to join us in the end."

Quint felt his eyes water again. Blotted emotions, they had brought him his downfall and made him the archer's target when he was enlisted with the Hunters. Then he lost said enlistment when they got in the way of a mission. But now it seemed they were finally bringing him something better in life. A light to end the darkness. He held Oracle and the two remained silently embraced until the familiar stomp of hooves and claws sounded outside

 

### SVR

"I want to go back to that place." Said Oracle suddenly. Quint smiled a little, having a shared interest in the structure that showed them the story of that scientist-looking dragon. Florence was much less enthusiastic.

"...I thought you'd have more sense than that, Oracle. Something isn't right about that place." She hissed. "We need to avoid it."

"But there's so much to learn from there!" Oracle cried out. Quint shuffled towards her in support. "Nothing happened when we went there last time. We could uncover so much from that place and-"

"-and be KILLED for knowing too much because some self-conscious tyrant doesn't want us snooping around? No Oracle- wait where do you think you're-?" Florence shrieked.

Oracle was already crawling out of the entrance and ready to take leave. Quint gave Florence an anxious little look before turning and following suit. Oblivious to the argument and raving for another adventure, Oda trailed happily behind the two dragons.

Minutes passed as Oracle and Quint made their way towards the spire heralding from the canopy of the trees when Quint suddenly swerved to the sound of footsteps behind them. He panicked and shouted. "Who is there-?! FLORENCE?" He was paused by the appearance of the Wildclaw.

"If you think for one second I'm going to let you both just walk out on me all by yours-" Her sentence was never finished as it was replaced by a scream of horror. "ORACLE! Run!" She shrieked and they both scampered in panicked directions as a shower of bullet-like hail pierced into their skin and sudden powerful winds defoliated the trees around them.

Oracle ran for what seemed like eternity when she finally smacked headfirst into Florence. Both shrieked in panic before coming back to their senses. Oracle grabbed Florence by her shoulders and shook her desperately. "What happened? What happened back their Florence? Where's Quint? Where-"

Florence held her hand to her companions mouth. Oracle had seen the look in her eyes before. It was that look. She knew what was coming next. "Oracle, he... we need to get out of here. I'm sorry. I'm-" for the first time in a long time the Wildclaw had tears rolling down her face. "Quint was hit in the head back there." She held Oracle in her arms. "I don't think-"

Oracle was quiet. So much had just happened and the wind howled painfully against her. Florence shielded her with torn feathered wings. Then, unexpectedly, she placed a familiar worn brimmer on Oracle's head. Quints. "I know what you want to say. You want to question everything. Why we have to run. Why we live like this and why we're the hunted. But Oracle-" Florence cupped the drenched cyan head in her hands. "-we've survived this far for a reason. We will lose companions along the way, many we loved with our very heart. Oracle." She held her tighter. "If there's anyone who can save the world, it's you. I promise you that."

Oracle gritted her teeth within Florences embrace. "I'm not just going to save the world, Florence." she thought to herself. "I'm going to avenge the lives of everyone who lost theirs to these tyrants in it."

 

### Already Gone

Once again with only themselves in each others company, the two survivors ran further for what could've been miles across the sandy-turning scorched delta. Finally they found somewhere to rest their legs in the form of a crumbled stone-and-wood building that may have been a home. Florence stood guard against the ruin that sheltered herself and Oracle against the howling wind outside. The shock between the sudden appearance of this frightening weather and the loss of Quint had not yet settled within them both. To make matters worse, they had both come to realise that Oda had not yet regrouped with them and was considerably lost like their fallen companion. Just as Florence had closed a tattered curtain over the ruin to give them peace of some sort and was about to have a talk with Oracle, she was interrupted by something strange.

" _Pain left me numb far too many times..._ " The silence of the aftermath was shattered by a small fractured voice singing. " _To celebrate this death. I never will forget._ "

Florence was too dumbfounded to even remember what she was about to say. She stood in disbelief and simply listened to the beautiful voice. "Oracle." Florence whispered in awe. "Those lyrics...they're beautiful."

The hybrid Coatl held her head low. "Are they really? I remember someone I knew singing them a long time ago. I...never knew what they meant until well-." She held in her emotions, but Florence was no fool. Maybe she could distract her. "-recently."

"How did the rest of it go, if you can remember?" Not the best choice, she thought, but worth a shot.

"Hmm..." Oracle breathed in a stuttered breath. "." She stumbled on her tongue. " _...most regret._ "

"Okay, okay." Florence gritted her teeth awkwardly and clasped her hands. "Less singing, we should..urhm.." She cleared her throat, but gasped as the words spoken next were not those that came from her own mouth.

"Not snoop around areas that aren't for pathetic weaklings like _you..?_ " A booming voice rattled through their bones and shook the sand around them.

Somewhere in the distance a flock of streaks bolted into the sky in a frenzied panic. Florence shook violently with fear and turned towards Oracle. She was surprised to see her cyan friend was emotionless to the gut-wrenching figure that overshadowed them.

Pushing down a column of the crumbling ruin with a mere nudge and barely crushing Florence's hind legs in the process, the upper figure of a large, slender, voltaic beast filled the hole in the structure and the visions of the two companions. Static lightning seeped from almost everywhere around them - their mouth, nostrils, heck, even their eyes where nothing but pure, blinding energy. What concerned Oracle the most was what this hellish being held in their powerful metallic grasp - Oda, cawing miserably and looking disheveled. In the other was the Wetland Unicorn that had taken shine to Quint, whinnying with fright.

Before anyone had time to react the self-proclaimed Lightning god threw the familiars at the two with a swift and heavy lunge, sending their targets crashing backwards into an unstable wall that collapsed on top of them. As pain dulled their senses they could hear one final snarling laugh and message from the wicked dragon.

"Let this be a lesson that there's ALWAYS someone or something watching you. You both don't end up like that idiotic failure back there." They gave another wicked laugh. "Run all you want, but don't think you can ever outrun a God."

Just like that the voltic creature left with a massive sweep of their wings which sent sparks slithering along the ground and blew up a huge cloud of sand and dust amongst the rubble of confused dragons and familiars alike.


	5. The Sandswept Delta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sandswept Delta chapter, beginning from July 2nd 2019 until August 18th 2019.

### Undrad

It felt like eternity had passed when Oracle finally returned from the abyss. She didn't want to think about the aches all across her body, but they prodded deep into her bones like her nosiness from earlier that had angered that so-called Lightning "god". In a sudden change of senses she felt a gentle touch lifting up one arm and mustered up the strength to investigate the sudden appearance of the spiky, long-nosed familiar dragon-

"Quint!?" Oracle gasped with shock. Her face turned pale and she felt her head fill with heavy concrete and drop back down to the earth.

"Undrad." The not-Quint stranger replied. "I'm not your guy, sorry." He muttered.

He caught Oracle's head before it crashed to the ground and laid it down softly onto the leather satchel acting as a makeshift pillow. When she opened her eyes again she noticed Florence was also lying down on the soft dirt beside her, still barely awake from her blow to the head by Oda. The webwing in question along with the Wetland Unicorn was sprawled out not too far away.

Oracle peeked again at the stranger who had come to their aid. Their scales where shiny and metallic-like, similar to that of the wicked dragon who had taken Quint's life and very nearly crushed them under this rubble. She gritted her teeth. It appeared this dragon was for now the complete opposite of that devil, or they wouldn't be helping them. Their wings shimmered like an insects in the sunlight and appeared very thin and fragile like them also. Before Oracle could peek further the saviour had caught onto her looking and blushed.

"I'm sorry I couldn't have helped ya both sooner before this building fell down on ya's, but it wasn't until I felt that micro-burst that I felt something had happened." Undrad apologised. By now Florence had come around and was glaring at the stranger helping them. "You all got crushed pretty bad, that webwing over there had a leg twisted." He continued. "Also I have no idea what came of this 'Quint' guy you're looking for. Do you have any details on him? I could take a look."

Florence groaned. "He's dead."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Oracle had become distracted from the conversation by an unusual shape beside Florence's arm. Something round, egg shaped even, and a pale lime-green in colour with several mechanical tubes connecting it to a hexagon base. Undrad caught on to her staring and quickly snapped it up with two hands and moved it out of sight with a worried bite of his lower lip.

"Well." Undrad spoke. "It doesn't look like any of you are fit to go anywhere for the time being. You should keep here and I'll stay near when I can to keep an eye on ya both-"

"Please stay." Oracle whispered. Even Florence seemed to quietly plead with him with a desperate look.

"I would dear, but those Bicorn's gunna eat me alive if I miss their mealtime." He chuckled. "I promise I will return. I just got some business to take care of first."

### Oh, Sparrow

It took Oracle and Florence around 2 days and 2 nights to recover from their encounter with SQUALL. In this time Undrad had indeed kept to his word and returned to them with supplies of food and scraps to build a shelter from the ruins they took sanctuary in. When the third day since they encountered Undrad dawned on them, both Oracle and Florence offered their help to him and his makeshift veterinary as thanks to his generosity. They were astounded by the beauty of the bicorn whales he tended to, and especially the vivid Blackline one who absolutely hampered for their attention.

Undrad knelt down and rubbed the snout of the whale gently. "This one is a right sook." He chuckled. "I've named them Buzz and they seem to respond to it so it's staying. Do these little troublemakers have names?" He pointed over to where Oda and the unicorn where resting.

"Yeah!" Replied Oracle. "That there is Oda-" She pointed to the webwing. "-she's been with us for quite a long while now. It was...an old friend of mine who took her in." She smiled softly as the memory of Gunnoda wrestling the bird came into view. "And this...well I don't believe they were ever given a name! They seemed to follow our friend Quint everywhere..." She nodded to the unicorn, who in turn was too busy munching on hay to notice anyone looking at them.

"Hmm..." Undrad picked himself up and went over to where the unicorn was obliviously resting. "Even when they were injured they were trying to sprint away from me. I'd say you look like a Quickfoot to me." He ran his fingers through their mane as they whinnied in surprise at the sudden touch. "Yeah, Quickfoot suits you, doesn't it?"

"That's cool." Florence munched on a granola bar. She seemed to be pondering something. "I suppose they're staying with us now."

"Of course!" Spoke both Undrad and Oracle in unison. Oracle in particular felt a connection with Quickfoot. They were, in a way, the last living thing that Quint could trust. Perhaps even unwittingly saved him when he was first exiled. She couldn't just abandon them now.

On a sudden change of subject Florence looked over to Undrad and stared. "So.." she began. "Are you just gonna pretend that we never saw that egg you were trying so hard to hide?" Undrad turned pale. Oracle looked over to Florence with a silent look as if to say 'why are you being so awkward?'

Undrad stumbled. "I-I don't think it's an egg? It's a something yah, and I barely just met you's so of course I'm sorry for not being so open with everything I own." He scowled.

"Don't try to pull the innocent card on me, Undrad." Florence uttered harshly. "I was THERE when you took it! Do you not remember me?" Undras blinked.

"No..?"

"We were literally scavenging the same place where it was kept. Of course, when the Hunters came along you were more concerned about getting out with your goodies than helping an old accomplice in need so you let me get captured!" Florence cried out. "You know EXACTLY who I am."

"...Sparrow?" Undrad pouted. He was met with a smack on the head from Florence, who appeared very angry at the sound of her old name.

As the two seemingly long-lost companions argued over the misunderstanding that left Oracle very confused and bewildered, the cyan creature noticed something strange happening in the satchel Undrad had stuffed the alien egg-thing into. It was shaking- oh goodness, it was shaking!?

"Hey, you's two!" She shouted. Undrad and Florence stopped dead in their tracks. Even Oda, Buzz and Quickfoot took a moment to assess why Oracle was shouting. "Look! the bag!"

Undrad threw Florence aside as the Wildclaw yelped. He rushed over to the moving satchel but froze only a few steps from it. When Florence had picked herself up and stalked over she joined Oracle and Undrad in their frozen surprise.

Peeking out of the bag - fresh from their shell and merely seconds into the world - was a tiny, slimy Bogsneak hatchling. 

"Well congratulations, Undrad." Florence sneered. "You're a dad now."

### Hold On To Memories (Time Pass)

> The trio have since returned to the distant Woodland Path to harvest plants and seafood from the streams. In the meantime, Oracle and Undrad discovered their new companion is a bit unstable and slimy in form, but they crafted a semi-mecha suit from some scrap metal and electrics Florence wired together to help them! Undrad was more than impressed with Florence's skill in machinery even though she was still quite sore from what happened in the lab. Undrad named them Skywarn, as when an oncoming storm charges their armor it will glow and therefore "warn" others of SQUALL's presence!
> 
> During their harvest in the woods, their little Skywarn comes back looking a little different. Oracle tears up when she recognises the hat of Nuz sitting atop their head, but in the words of Gunnoda she tells Skywarn that she found it and it's theirs. The tiny Bogsneak is absolutely thrilled to be looking more "dragon-like" as they overheard Florence whisper.
> 
> _[Days have turned into weeks, and weeks became months. The quartet grow closer and Skywarn grows up so quickly! They become quite the craftsdragon, making some tail armor for Florence even out of old bark and some of Oda's shed feathers! Kekki would be looking down and smiling.]_
> 
> Undrad and Florence slowly but surely make amends to one another. Undrad also grows rather closer to Oracle the more time he spends with her and Skywarn. She looks after the Bogsneak like a stern mother yet also big and cuddly like a sister. Gradually the two of them feel a spark between one another within the months of time together. Oracle knows she loves his attitude to beasts and his readiness to move on to peace, and still isn't entirely sure why, he looks like Quint and that's why she's so attracted to him..?
> 
> Florence was most surprised when Oracle first announced the news and almost lunged herself to slap Undrad. "I was just joking when I said it back when Skywarn was hatched!" She shouted. Skywarn meanwhile was absolutely thrilled!
> 
> A single egg, the quartet keep hidden in the Sandswept Delta praying they can keep it safe.

### Keep Moving

Oracle did not expect to be woken up by the clanking of stone and metal together. Then again, she was still pleasantly surprised every morning when she woke up with her precious egg cuddled into her chest. On this particular morning though, Florence and Skywarn were taking apart something that released horror from Oracle's mouth once the Coatl hybrid sat up. "Florence? Where did those golems come from?!"

"It's ok Oracle. They're deactivated. It was actually something me and Skywarn had been plotting for a while and we finally got two down with Undrad while you were asleep." Florence reassured her companion. "I want to understand them. That time when...you...Kekki...ever since then I just needed to _know_." She confessed. Skywarn cradled a severed golem head nervously in her mechanic arms. A jelly-like residue leaked from their clawtips and into the empty eye sockets of the weathered rock face. Oracle tried not too look too grossed out for the young Bogsneak's sake.

Oracle had never seen Florence so determined and relaxed. 'If there was anyone who had grown so much in the long months of peace,' she thought 'it had to be the matronly Wildclaw who had experienced so much betrayal it left her unable to even touch a cable of wire without fear'. Now she was witnessing who was once a stranger readily take the risk over and over again until she flourished. Oracle was honored to be a part of this development.

Florence spun a spanner around one pointy finger. Her claw tips - previously always catered to and pointed - had become withered down to nothing more than blunt and chewed peaks. "Anyway Oracle. There's something Skywarn and I wanted to tell you. Don't worry, it ain't about the egg or Undrad." She gave a dry chuckle. "There's something we discovered about Skywarn. They seem to be resistant or something t-" She interrupted herself with a shriek and leapt forward just too late to see Oracle flung into a wall of their shelter by a slithering creature out for dragon's blood.

"ORACLE? Are you alright?!" Florence screamed and yanked the hissing Serthis off her nursing companion. She turned just in time to smack the creature into an approaching centaur and slash them backwards. Undrad had also returned to the sound of her shrieking and was impaling a centaur archer to the ground. Skywarn had also taken up arms, using the remains of the Augite Protectors as aerial shrapnel against the Beastmen.

"THE EGG! WHERE IS MY EGG?" Oracle wailed in maternal despair and desperation. Some kind of poisonous extract ran down one side of her face, leaving a trail of burning flesh in its wake. Florence snapped her neck into view of the Serthis who had ambushed her companion. Pulling their crushed tail free of their deceased ally's slashed body, they attempted to weakly slither away from the carnage they orchestrated. Florence was packed with so much rage-fueled adrenaline to easily recognise the bulge of a familiar shape hanging from their poisons satchel.

With a mighty, adrenalized scream she leapt into the air and towards the villain. Claws met sensitive neck flesh and scales attempted to crush feathers as the two engaged in one final combat. Not very soon after the Serthis accepted their fate. With one broken arm they attempted to slide a last trick from their sleeve before their esophagus finally gave way and their life dropped into stillness just as their arm fell to the still ground. Realising their leader had fallen and no loot was unguarded like they had planned for, the remaining Beast invaders fled the area leaving their dead and targets behind. 

Undrad quickly rushed over to Oracle and immediately began looking into her facial injuries. Skywarn stood shaken, the innocent Bogsneak taking in the reality of what just happened in a mere space of a few minutes. Florence released her bloodied claws from the Serthis's oozing neck and reached over to the satchel where her companions egg lay surprisingly undisturbed. She praised whatever gracious deity was listening that no poisonous vials spilled onto the shell.

As she held the heavy egg in her bloody hands she contemplated. "We need to move out of here. They may not have been Hunters or related, but there's something coming and we aren't welcome here anymore."

She noticed a weak nod from Oracle's head. She was injured, perhaps even had head trauma which was the last thing an expectant mother or any survivor needed. Undrad was in full support and with a flick of his wrist he ordered for both Florence and Skywarn to begin the preparations of packing. 

Inside he felt it. Perhaps Florence too. Maybe even Skywarn. They really were watching and they did not want to see them flourish so easily without a fight. They had to keep moving.

### Mischief Served Innocent

Undrad's shoulders ached with the weight of his beloved hybrid curled around them. Florence walked briskly just ahead of them, her companions egg tucked safely into a clean satchel and caked with feathers from Oda. The webwing in question swooped around Undrad and Oracle, looking out for anything on the painted blue horizon. Finally, Quickfoot trailed behind with Skywarn, the two playfully hiding behind the palms and jumping out at one another before rolling in the dirt and returning to the group caked in sand, slime and hairs. Florence simply rolled her eyes, but Undrad got a chuckle from it which pleased Skywarn enough.

When at last the group had found an old wooden fishing shack, unloaded their supplies and placed Oracle in a secured hammock, Skywarn could wander around and explore this new area. Turquoise water licked the shore of the sandy coast shyly. Water seeped through natures makeshift rivers along the beach, gently nudging the reeds sticking up from the depth of the sand. Palm trees waved hello to visitors and strangers alike in the humid breeze. Unfortunately for them, the latest strangers on their sand were too occupied with planning their next move and tending to their injured.

Skywarn made their way towards a series of rocks with bubbling pools of sea water. They reminded them of the small cauldron Undrad had found in their previous home and how fascinating it was to watch as food was cooked in it by the fire below. Upon reaching them they noticed tiny caves cracked within the pools and, instinctively, pushed a paw inside to explore before yelping and yanking it out of the hot water. As they fell backwards from the force they heard something crunch as they sat on it. Picking themselves up, they noticed a partially crushed skull beneath them with unusually sharp teeth. Hmm.

Carefully picking up the skull with two paws, Skywarn examined the large point teeth. With a finger they knocked a claw onto one tooth, discovering its hollowness. The rest of the skull seemed to be crumbling away into dust from the heat, but Skywarn had a plan for the fanged teeth. This would be a funny one.

By breaking the teeth out of the soft skull, Skywarn placed them on their upper lip and stuck them there with their unique skin. They giggled, and made their way back towards the shack where Undrad and Florence were discussing something to do with a 'grove'. Sneaking past a grazing Quickfoot, they crept towards the back of Undrad. The time to strike had arrived.

"Boo!" They yelped. Florence jumped with the sound and Undrad almost fell forwards. When both looked over to Skywarn they were met with the mischievous Bogsneaks disguise. "Look! I'm a walrus!"

Undrad's face crumpled like paper and he started chuckling loudly. Even Florence was trying to hold in her giggles but in the end couldn't help smirking and laughing. Even Oracle, although half-asleep on her hammock, smiled softly.

"Great one Sky." Undrad finally said between giggles. Florence nodded in agreement. "I think your little sibling liked that one too!" Sure enough, Skywarn could see the little rocking of side-to-side from the egg lying in feathers and canvas between Undrad and Florence. They beamed.

"Wow! They're getting strong!" They gasped. The knelt forward and lay down on the floor in front of the egg and held it in two paws. "Just like me!"

That set off another set of giggles, this time from all four companions in the room. It was moments like this that truly healed time and love between any family, and Oracle was thankful that she found them. She could feel her companions in the next life sharing the jokes and love with them from far away.

### The Power of Fate

"Undrad! Florence! Skywarn!" Everyone froze into a statue upon hearing the cries coming from their safe place. Then Undrad dropped his corner of the fishing net and scrambled along the sand towards his partner. Both Florence and Skywarn quickly caught the end and then dropped their catch on the sand bed. Their last experience when Oracle called out to them like this did not end well and sent the blood of the three of them boiling. Oracle was a strong fighter and survivor, but a nursing one was an easy target for thieves with their energy drawn from keeping their egg safe as well as the high value that missing eggs could hold on the black markets.

Which was why when Florence burst through the wooden door so hard it broke off its hinges, she was absolutely surprised. There, Oracle was not lying down or staring mindlessly into the distance. She was holding...a hatchling.

Undrad was knelt beside her, tearfully wiping his eyes before extending a hand to touch his newborns head. Florence could feel her eyes stinging. Everything she could have had so long ago was now envisioned in front of her. She forced a pained smile onto her face and shoved jealousy to the depths of her mind. All she wanted was to go forward to her closest companion and congratulate her.

Skywarn had immediately bolted towards the pair excitedly and was now cooing and booing at the hatchling before leaning back inquisitively when their tiny wails filled the room. Oracle smiled softly understandingly at the Bogsneak. "They're okay." She whispered and cuddled into the baby dragon before lifting her head up to Florence. "Please come over Florence. They want you."

The Wildclaw stepped forward before rushing over and falling to her knees and encircled her cyan blue friend and her newborn with her entire love. This must have set off Undrad's emotional waterfall again, because he turned his to put his hands up to his entire face to wipe his glassy eyes again. Even Skywarn was just idling by, beaming a smile that could lift a fallen star back into the sky.

Under her breath, Florence muttered something. Words of love and wishes of good health and safety to any empathetic deity watching over them right now. Anything to keep this innocent creature free whatever it may cost.

### Jvlin and Mooney

Neither Oracle nor Undrad had anticipated how large their young one would grow up to be. Horizon was becoming quite the strong Ridgeback for an adolescent and often could be found tumbling around in a safe place with Skywarn, Quickfoot and Oda whilst the grown ups kept their boundaries defended against whatever seemed to be snooping around. Though do not be fooled, for all three of the companions kept their watchful eye on the youngsters. Florence in particular had drilled into both Horizon and Skywarn about the danger of strangers and not to trust anyone who wasn't her, Oracle and Undrad. She particularly warned them for beasts who unknowingly could be infected with Shade and unpredictable.

Of course, these kids were all in their younger years of their life. That meant only one other thing was on their mind besides survival. Mayhem.

Whilst their caretakers were out on a routine scouting and they had been hushed into a quiet oasis of thick shrubbery and trees, Horizon had conjured up the playful idea of racing leaves across the small pond within the oasis. This was met with a cheer from his elder sibling Skywarn, who began pulling leaves of the shrubs and unintentionally pulled on the cardboard tongue of a strange creature.

They gasped. Pulling Horizon close to them and shielding them with one arm they took a closer look at the green and pink thing in font of them. Oda hissed protectively and Quickfoot whinnied nervously, kicking up sand with one hoof. The monotone creature just stared at them with their head crest spiked up tall in anticipation and fear. A crudely fashioned mask hid any expression painted on their face, providing they even were capable of showing facial expressions. Skwarn ushered their group backwards, debating on whether to follow their aunts advice and run or follow their curiosity and greet the creature.

On the other side of the area, the three elder companions were arguably tending to an injured centaur. They had found the shaggy beast already injured from a poison trap and Undrad simply had to ensure they were healed before any action on what to do with them was taken. The centaur introduced himself as Jvlin of the Plainstrider Herd, the one and famous bard of the sandwastes who's ukulele could win the heart of any living thing in the universe. He even offered to play a song for Florence if it meant winning her over much to the Wildclaws disdain.

"This is looking pretty nasty. I'd need to get to my proper med kit back at our camp. We'll have to take you back there, you can use the time to rest up." Undrad spoke. Florence looked at him appalled.

"What? We can't lead him back to camp!" She snarled. Jvlin simply laughed.

"Oh don't worry, my dear! The least amount of damage I could do would be scuffing your doormat with my untrimmed hooves! It's awfully kind of you to open up your heart to a stranger in need. That punk from earlier who got me into this bother should hang their head in shame." He gratefully shook Undrad's hand with a mighty force. "Say, have any of you fellas spotted a pale pink and green fellow around here? I've been looking around for Mooney for hours."

Oracle and Florence froze. "Mooney...? Are they dangerous..at all?" Oracle hummed quietly. Her feathers pricked up with caution. She knew her brood were out there, together but naive, and the last thing she needed was some renegade near them.

Jvlin gave a warm chuckle. "Oh goodness no, they're as quiet and tame as a well fed capricat. It's just they're not the best at being in their own company, is all. That's why I've been keeping an eye out for them ever since I first noticed them fluttering about."

The centaur seemed to read through Oracle's worried gaze. "If your little ones are out there Mooney will bring them no harm whatsoever. The same goes to my herd. We've been living in these sands for as long as my legs could stand. But there's something spreading across the delta. Something is killing my people and poisoning the land. We are planning on moving across the sea, to a paradise of gardens rumoured to be disconnected from the influence of this lands corruption..." Jvin gave a pained sigh before looking up to the companions with a smile.

"You are always welcome to come with us on the journey. My herd will see that you and your hatchlings are kept safe. You see, we always stick together. There's safety in numbers."

### Rot and Roll

It didn't take long for Jvlin to recover from his poisonous encounter. Within hours he had healed up and he was rambling around like a retired rock star, fiddling with his ukulele and chatting up Florence. He even let Horizon and Skywarn have a go at playing the strings and soon both of them were pretending to be a travelling performance of dancers while the bard played a merry tune. Oracle had never felt such joy trickling through her body like a cool drink quenching her parched throat. Watching her own young one learning through play was a stab of envy she powered through to keep him safe at any cost.

Eventually Jvlin felt the time come when he had to return to his herd. However, he was not going before he could try again to convince these ragtag survivors to come with him.

"Believe me." The aged centaur sipped his black tea. "When I say my herd will welcome you with open arms, I mean it. From our ancestors before the end of the last Age to now we have always been a peaceful society." He lifted his head up from the cups edge. "And besides, we could use the help of draconic creatures like you. The herd has seen numbers fall to its fair share of raiders and Hunters."

The trio of Undrad, Oracle and Florence took some minutes to discuss their reply. They could all agree that safety in numbers was guaranteed with both Skywarn and Horizon benefiting from a larger family, yet this was a stranger they just rescued yesterday. He could being saying anything. Maybe even poisoned for a reason they didn't want to know. Perhaps the herd were not even as pacifistic as they've been described and were slavers or raiders themselves all along.

Trust was a luxury that didn't come without a heavy price.

In the end though, risks had to be taken. You couldn't survive a world like this by being the sitting duck in front of the barrel of a gun. After further discussions and another hearty performance from Horizon and Skywarn as Jvlin played the ukelele with glee, the time came for the group to pack their supplies and move on with Jvlin. The decision was not easy, but neither was the gamble of staying in one area for too long. They learned that the hard way not even that long ago.

According to Jvlin, the herd had travelled northwards up towards the decimated ruins of a massive sundial. As the walked he told them the story passed down from his grandmother of the dragons who celebrated their Deity at the very same sundial. According to the story, for one month every single year all of dragonkind came to celebrate the element of Light. Oracle questioned if any other elements were celebrated - Nature at all? - and Jvlin couldn't give a definite answer but was hopeful they did. During this month of celebrations special clothing was crafted and special Light creatures emerged to accompany dragonkind for life. While the Deity rarely appeared during these celebrations, their power grew massively from the worship and it could become so volatile it spread throughout the whole continent.  
The group became so immersed in this storytime that they didn't notice Mooney had joined them from somewhere along the path. Then again, it seemed everyone but Horizon and Jvlin had problems seeing the dragon fully. Their form didn't seem entirely constructed. It was almost like a ghostly visage at times that one could even stick a hand through. It was so strange and Florence couldn't help feeling freaked out by them.

It was also silent. Much too quiet for her liking. As they travelled they hadn't seen a single soul around. There was no angry jackalopes or centaurs or snake-like creatures ready to strike from the abyss. Something was wrong. They soon discovered what when the reached the sundial. Exhausted, feet and hooves hurting and looking at a scene of carnage.

Many centaurs - their hides fluffy and shaggy much like that of Jvlin - were fighting for their lives against a whole hordes of snake-like warriors, scorpions...so many bloodthirsty creatures. Blood, sweat and poison pooled onto the crumbling structure and in a matter of seconds Jvlin had ushered Horizon, Skywarn and Mooney out of the danger as Oda leapt into the sky with a caw of war. Drawn to the energy of the battle Oracle, Undrad and Florence leapt to the aid of the helpless herd.

Oracle drew a long breath and unleashed a furious bolt of leaves and thorns towards a crowding group of Serthis around a fallen centaur. The impact left strangling vines and screams of panic and confusion as the centaur quickly picked themselves up and limped away from danger as Florence and Undrad barbarically finished off the snakes with their claws and teeth. As if inspired by the sudden appearance of the dragons helping them, the saved centaur let out a barking of orders and the remaining herd let out an angry cheer as their spirits lifted and drew them to pick up their blades and pieces of stone. Moving as one with the trio, they rushed towards the bewildered invaders and threw everything they had as vines of nature spread across the sundial and into the flesh of the enemies. Frightened by the wind of change, the Serthis turned their tails and fled along the hills down a long flight of stairs into a murky woodland. Some centaurs followed them, even managing to send the beasts crashing down the steps into bushes of thorns and gloopy puddles before returning to the sounds of cheering and music in the face of victory.

Jvlin appeared with the young dragons and ran over to the injured centaur who Oracle had saved. "Mama! What happened? How did they follow you?! I managed to divert them back at the forest how did they..? they must-"

Before he could finish the elder centaur had him held in an embrace. "Jvlin, my dear son. You returned to me." She mournfully lifted her head to face the kneeling figure of Undrad surrounded by weeping centaurs. "These heroes you found saved us...but one of them..."

Jvlin whipped his head around at the sound of a distraught Oracle shrieking to the sky. Gently held in Undrad's arms was an unrecognisable figure of a dragon. Acid reeked from their skin and feathers and their body was limp and lifeless. Some of the matronly centaurs quickly ushered towards Skywarn and Horizon and covered their eyes from the horrifying sight. Both Oda and Quickfoot circled Undrad, cawing and bleating in confusion as to why Florence looked more like a puddle than a dragon.

### Migrants

It didn't take long for Undrad and the other centaur warriors to wrap up the remains of Florence. Oracle kept hidden at the base of the sundial and felt sick by how little remained of her companion. Florence, the escapee. The wise elder compared to the inexperienced Nuz, Oracle and Kekki. The one always prepared and one step ahead of danger. The one who knew she could never have children of her own, yet fully supported her companions and was the greatest aunt Horizon could ever have. Now nothing more than a few melted limbs.

Bagpipes, strings and mournful chants of Florence's name filled the air as Undrad carried his old friend to her final resting place in the shadow of the sundial. Skywarn and Horizon huddled beneath a group of motherly centaurs, confused and wiping the tears falling down their face. Oracle soon joined them, holding Horizon close to her chest as she tried to hold in her own tears of anger. Quickfoot trotted over to the grave once her keeper was finally buried, kicking up the dirt as if it could bring the body back to life and fully formed as it had been just hours before.

After the funeral Jvlin finally took the companions to meet his mother and leader of the herd, Sowia Plainstrider. She immediately took Oracle's hand and held it gratefully. "You saved my life, and more importantly my family. You and your friends will forever be honored by my people, and Florence's sacrifice will forever be sung in gratitude by my people." The elderly centaur quickly pulled Oracle into a hug as more tears fell down the hybrid's cheeks. "There, there. Fate can play a cruel hand in the gamble of life and death." She turned her gaze to Jvlin.

The centaur gently held Oda and ran his fingers through their plumage. "Mama." The dragons had yet to see Jvlin look so down-hearted. "We still need to find a way across the ocean if we are to make it to the gardens. We've already lost so many from the Fortress and now here."

"Fortress..?" Oracle questioned. She very briefly noticed an uncomfortable shift from Undrad. Mooney was also there, just watching. Their emotionless grey eyes peeked beneath their strange mask now almost like that of a sparrow's skull. Did they change it..? Oracle honestly hadn't had the chance to confront this creature anyway.

"Our ancestors migrated to the Fortress of Ends when the explosion occurred in an attempt to escape the fallout. Before that, they lived here in these light-filled ruins." Noticing the confused expression on Oracle's face, Sowia coughed.

"The Fortress belonged to one of the Deities of the Old Ages. The Icewarden. My ancestors discovered that he kept many horrors imprisoned there. For decades the herd was kept safe there and mingled with his own creations. The Gaolers and the Tundras. When he disappeared so did the Gaolers one by one, and there was nothing to stop the horrors kept imprisoned there from breaking free. The battle of our ancestors with the Tundras and Longneck tribes against those horrors is immortalized in our songs." She smiled and took a breath. Oracle watched and listened in amazement.

"Sadly, the ice magic began to fade and the Southern Icefield melted into the ocean to be lost forever. With my great-grandfather's generation we sailed to the islands of wasteland that once belonged to the Fire Deity, forgive me for not remembering their name. Then since my mother's generation - Jvlin's grandmother - we had travelled in search of our early ancestry and the Blooming Gardens." Sowia's eye lightened as she spoke the name.

"Since I was a little foal I had been told stories of this paradise in the north-east. A final attempt for the Deity of Nature - oh, forgive me for not remembering their name again - to preserve life as it was before the Catastrophe. When the Hunters began to take over the forests and the Serthis grew hungry for our land I decided it would be my duty in my old age to begin the journey there." She smiled over to Jvlin who looked down to the floor as if he knew what she was going to say next. "Then, by the time my soul returns to the stars my son will be able to lead the herd in peace and paradise."

"Oh, mama." Jvlin sniffed and swallowed in an attempt to keep him emotion in check. "You say it with such power. There's no way I can ever be as strong as you to lead this herd."

"You found these dragons and brought them just in time to save us all didn't you?" The old centaur rubbed an itch on her neck.

"Yes, but one of them died _horribly_." He whimpered.

By now both Oracle and Sowia had pulled the young centaur into a large group hug. Jvlin shrunk beneath his mother and Oracle's arms. Undrad coughed into a hand, a little awkward in the situation and left to go see Horizon as Oda cawed happily in the embrace. Mooney simply stood there. Expressionless. Watching.

"Oh Jvlin. Please don't blame yourself for Florence's death. She's...always been a little reckless." Oracle lied between her teeth. Florence's passing was a shock to her psyche. Thankfully it seemed to ease the young man a little, though as his tense shoulders relaxed.

"Exactly, child!" Sowia scolded playfully. "Death will always be around us. We will all return to the emptiness one day. Until then, we will all be here together. For now we need to focus on raising our young dragons and foals for the journey ahead-" she nodded over to where Horizon and Skywarn where playing hide-and-seek around the sundial with three foals "-as well as taking time to recover from this time of mourning."

Oracle nodded and gave a small smile. There was still so much she had to do and think about before any more action. She looked over to Mooney, still standing there like a statue. She would begin with them.

### The Ropes

"Maw," Horizon had asked innocently enough. "I wanna go food gathering with you and Paw."

Oracle's lower lip trembled. She knew the day would come when both she and Undrad would have to show their son the harsh reality of scavenging. Today, though, was just not the day. She didn't want to fight at all, but with an entire herd needing fed someone had to lead the expedition and ensure no more losses.

"Not today dearest. How about you go and help the ladies crush some more medicine herbs?" She anticipated the sigh of boredom from the young dragon.

"Okay then..." So he wandered off towards Skywarn and the lady centaurs who were preparing bottles of medicine beneath the sundial for the expedition later. She felt a pang of regret watching his head lower as he turned away. Hopefully he would grow to understand she simply wanted to protect him.

However, Oracle did need an extra pair of clawed hands to accompany her and Undrad. Florence was no longer here. She just hoped this Mooney had at least some experience fighting so she could delay some time to properly ready Skywarn for the life of fighting. She turned around just in time to catch Mooney staring attentively at her. Again their face had changed into the artlessly dragon-like mask, but those grey, cold eyes. They made Oracle feel empty and light-headed.

"You there. I'm going to need your help with scavenging, if you could assist us?" She got her silent reply from Mooney as they flicked their head frills in response and fluttered over to the rallying warriors. At least they were somewhat responsive, Oracle shivered.

### Silver Days Gone

Oracle could already read the face of the approaching warrior before they even came into full view. She felt her stomach sink when Undrad had decided to split the group up in half to cover more ground. She would stay with the younger ones, he had commanded, whilst he and the more experienced mercenaries roamed down the mysterious steps into the murky woodland. Even though she protested against him - even bringing up Horizon to bring him back to reality - Undrad was not fazed. Ever since the battle for the sundial where he had watched Florence perish in his hands, he had become detached from everyone around him and the world. He couldn't even focus his entire attention to his own son, leaving the young boy worried and confused.

So when a sole breathless centaur stumbled towards Oracle and collapsed into the arms of their concerned brethren, she already knew what had become of her companion.

As the rookie warriors tended to their injuries, the shaken mercenary told them of the hideout they found. The hiding place of the same gang of Serthis that had attacked the herd for so long ever since they entered the destroyed land of littering ruins. Oracle's cold, emotionless face never changed even as they heralded the actions of their fallen comrades for cutting down the Serthis gang to barely a few young orphans who had fled from the scene in fear.

Then, once they had returned to the makeshift herd camp around the sundial, Sowia had summoned Oracle to the tent where the mercenary was recovering. The worn out hybrid pushed through the canvas and was met with the same mournful look that the elderly centaur's face had shown just days ago.

"He's gone." Oracle murmured.

"I'm so sorry." Sowia puckered her lips. "My herd has been in trouble ever since we left the Icefields but...never could we have anticipated such tragedies so close to one another. I'm...sorry." She swallowed hard and painfully.

Oracle closed her eyes. The emotions flowing through her were not the ones she had felt so many times before. Perhaps she was becoming immune to the tragic repeat of events. Or she just didn't know how to tell Horizon the news that Paw was never going to come home. Maybe even the sudden stab of reality that Skywarn would have to grow up so fast fit into the heavy boots left behind by both Florence and Undrad.

Oracle turned around without saying a word and left the old centaur alone inside the tent with the casualties.

### Dressup & Dreams

A deafening silence fell over the ruins that night. Oracle had retreated into the lean-to generously given to the companions by Sowia in gratitude for helping both her herd and son. Skywarn was on the floor fast asleep on her back, lazily snoring into the dropping temperatures. Horizon was already looking at her with pure blue eyes when she crumpled to the ground and crawled onto her lap.

“Maw.” He said childishly enough. “Do you want to know about my day today?”

Oracle wrapped her arms around his small, spiked head. “Of course, dear.”

“Well, me and Skywarn were down by the water with Merrie and the other ladies and we were washing clothes and blowing bubbles while you and Mooney and Paw were gone.” He grinned. “Then afterwards Mooney said you sent him back and we went exploring around and they found a really funny pink hat! Skywarn said it looked silly but I think it looked okay on them!”

“Then, I had a nap and had a dream.” Oracle leaned forward more attentively to her son.

“It was all wet and grassy with trees around and I was with these two dragons. One of them had a cool stick with pointy blades and the other could whoosh up blue clouds from their hands!” The small Ridgeback mimicked the dream dragon and threw his hands into the air whilst whistling ‘whoosh!’ “These weird creatures were all around us but I hit one of them and then the big dragons slammed them to the ground!” He beamed with pride of his heroic dream actions.

“Then I woke up and Merrie came in and gave me this fluffy jacket! She said she met a golden dragon who gave it to her!” Horizon jumped up and twirled around. Oracle smiled at her son but then focused on something weird. Where his wings that dark before? The cheery child noticed her change of expression and pouted.

“It’s okay though. Skywarn got a bit jealous but when you came home one of the warriors gave her a cool neck thing!” He pointed to the oblivious sleepyhead. “It looks a lot like Paws one doesn’t it? I think that’s cool!”

Oracle swallowed hard when she realised that the neckerchief around Skywarns shoulders were very much the same colour, fabric, everything of the one that Undrad had worn since she and Florence bought it from the same golden merchant that was likely Ortoros, the traveller. The exact same hank that had been picked up from a body and hastily cleaned in the river just hours ago.

She noticed Horizon staring and quickly painted a smile on her face. “You all look very cool and lovely in your new clothes. I hope you thanked Merrie for buying you the jacket.”

“Oh yes! I did! I did say I wanted a fluffy jacket like your one.” Horizon reached forward to ruffle his hand into the collar of Oracle’s coat. The one Oracle had found what seemed like eternity ago and almost ended up arguing with Nuz and Gunnoda over who could have it. Gunnoda. Nuz…

It took a lot of willpower but Oracle managed to lean down and peck a kiss onto the spiky young ones head. “How absolutely lovely of her. Now, it’s sleepy time. Your sister is already snoring.” She chuckled and laid down on the cloth mat with her child on her belly. It wasn’t going to be long before Horizon began to question why Paw wasn’t home. Oracle needed all the strength the world could give and until then, she slept peacefully with her children into the cool midnight.

### Answers

Oracle woke up early with the sun rising behind grey clouds. It was the perfect picturesque - rays of light broke through the dark and coloured the ruins and endless lined ocean in the horizon with warm watercolor. She could hear Skywarn yawn and turn over to her side as Horizon snuggled deeper into her arm. Gently she lifted her arm and then moved his head onto a feather pillow.

She took a few steps out of her lodge before a fiery scratch slowly crept up her throat. She coughed with the sensation, a cough that soon became a spluttering and before she knew it a crowd of concerned centaurs were fussing over her humble pushes of “I’m fine, it’s just a cough.” Jvlin trotted up and shooed most of them away before handing Oracle a sheepskin bottle of water which she gulped down gratefully.

“Humidity getting to ya? I know, mum says something called pollen is coming from the grass and flowers that we aren’t used to. Makes your nose all horrible! So many last night couldn’t sleep with their noses running.” He patted her back as she resumed her breathing.

“Mhmm. Have you seen Mooney?” She asked him. He enthusiastically pointed down to the river beneath the hill of the sundial before shuffling away to a call of his name. The cyan hybrid made her way down to where the strange pink...thing was just standing there.

“Hey.” She called out to the unresponding creature. She could’ve sworn they just. Flickered. Like the dimming, aged lights of that laboratory she sneaked out to explore with Quint when he was alive. When…

She didn’t like the aura of this Mooney.

“I know you’re listening to me.” She breathed in harshly. “I know I’ve seen you before.”

It turned to look at her.

“Just what are you?!”

Nothing.

“I saw you in that place. We both did. Are you..?”

“Negative.” Oracle was taken aback mentally and physically by the response. Her feathers pierced upwards with the lack of anticipation for an answer.

“What happened there? You know!” She cracked. Asking too many questions. She knew it wasn’t a good idea, but the pain still stung in her heart even after all this time. It wasn’t healthy but she couldn’t let him go. Not with how he went so suddenly and violently. She tried to hide it for Undrad, Horizon, even Florence, but now she was alone and she needed the answers. SQUALL...something about it connected these two together.

“Answer me again. WHAT ARE YOU?”

It looked at her with its unfeeling eyes. “An error.” It spoke almost inaudibly and Oracle could’ve easily missed it if not fixated on getting answers.

“Error...? Do you know what SQUALL is? ...Did he make you?”

“Maw, there you are! Hi Mooney!” Horizon and Skywarn came tumbling down the hill laughing with Jvlin, Merrie and a trio of young foals. Oracle wouldn’t get her answers today but she would get them. She watched them fade into the crowd of scales and rawhide, clutching their masked face. Another dragon-like face with a taped tongue on the mouth for some realism.

It filled her with dread realising it was almost mimicking of Skywarn’s plump face.

### Lies & Lightning

When the all too familiar sky turned to that queasy colours of green and abyss, Oracle could feel that something was going to be taken away from her. Again. She quickly hushed the visibly frightened centaurs of her scavenging party and ordered them to leave back for the herd at the sundial. She pulled an older archer close to her and told them to warn Sowia to prepare for anything. Anything, she boldly instructed. They bolted towards the direction of the sundial like the lightning appearing from the dark skies above.

The only ones to remain were Oracle, Oda, Horizon, Mooney and Jvlin. The latter tried to hide his uneasiness for the sake of the small Ridgeback who clung to his mother with his face crumpled in fear. Even Oda couldn’t croak out a caw. Mooney, well, nobody was surprised anymore to see their expressionless face tilt up to the sky and do nothing.

Oracle quickly whipped herself forward and pushed everyone out of the way just as a powerful bolt struck the ground where they once stood. A deep, powerful laughter filled the area as the wicked figure of SQUALL made itself visible.

“Looks like the gang of troublemakers is down by two members!” He smirked. “You would think a large creature such as a DRAGON could easily defeat a snake in combat. What a waste.”

“They were poisonous killers.” Oracle hissed. Her teeth clenched and her muscles tightened from the hatred flowing through her body. She held Horizon so tightly to her waist the little Ridgeback thought the spikes of his head would pop out like fireworks.

SQUALL threw his head back and thundered a laugh of amusement. Poor Horizon squeaked and hid into his mothers coat. Oracle could feel the bones of her young one shaking.

“That means my Hunters have been training them well enough.” He slyly looked direct into Oracle’s eyes. Mooney stared into the ground beneath his mask as Jvlin swallowed hard at the stranger who dealt the cards to the Serthis which killed many in his herd as well as both Florence and Undrad. “As you can see, natives can’t always be so welcoming. Especially with centaurs trampling in and taking everything from them.” He melodramatically sighed and rubbed his chin. “What choice did they have but to give themselves to me? All so their precious eggs could hatch safely.” A chuckle hissed between his teeth before becoming a laugh of pure evil. “As if.”

Jvlin’s jaw dropped. A horrified expression plastered his pale face as he took in everything SQUALL had said. “Whey-we-we'r-we are just passing through!” He cried. “We didn’t mean to cause harm or huh-hurt anyone!” He stumbled as tears welled in his eyes. “We won’t even be here long! We’re movin-!” Oracle shot forward with Horizon and slapped her hand to his mouth before he could say any more.

SQUALL’s lips pursed into a smile. “Oh, haven’t I heard! The Blossoming Gardens, hmm? Or was it the Blooming Gardens? I cannot seem to remember…” He clasped his arms behind his back before turning to where the small, pink Fae-like thing was quivering slightly. “How about you remind me again, ‘Mooney?’”

Jvlin shrunk back and bowed his head in shame. He had found the masked creature. He took them into his herd and let them follow him everywhere he went. He never even had the thought of this seemingly friendly creature being a whistle-blower. Oracle glared in anger to the voltaic god as he walked over to Mooney and bent his torso down to meet their mask.

“Of course. Nothing more than a useless experiment.” SQUALL frowned. “Not even the ancestors could find any use for you. Useless hologram.”

In the midst of those words Mooney’s quivering became increasingly violent. The rest of the group watched as pieces of their pink skin appeared to detach from their body but never fall to the ground. As SQUALL came closer to to them their bodily distortion intensified until they were nothing but what seemed to Oracle as a swarm of flies where the creature once was.

With a simple snatch SQUALL pulled the mask of the true face of Mooney. One that nobody had the chance to see or even confirm existed as the creature appeared to disintegrate into nothing right in front of them. No bones, no blood, no screams. Nothing. Seemingly happy with the sight of the devastated Jvlin and fearful mother and son beneath him, SQUALL vanished up into the stormy skies just as malevolent as he arrived with yet another death count on his hands.

### Looking Back

"Oracle?" Skywarn called out. The chubby Bogsneak was sitting unusually tall at the base of the sundial. Horizon had gone off to join the foals and Merrie in collecting freshwater for the wash baskets leaving them alone. Which was what they wanted. To wait patiently at the sundial until Oracle woke up and wandered past. It gave them time to think about what they were about to ask, as well as prepare for the answers they might receive.

Or may not even get, if Oracle wasn't lost in her own thoughts. Rehearsing the dreaded scenario over and over. Skywarn and Horizon have seen the battles were like. Horizon even dreamt about it. It still troubled Oracle as to the identity of those two mystery figures that fought for him. She knew that one day they would have to watch her fall and they had to be prepared for that. Not like she was, seeing Gunnoda. Nuz. Kekki. Quint. Florence. Undrad's broken body carried back to the camp under canvas. It broke her heart when she knew that one day it would be her own children watching her life fade away. Was there a parent of hers out there who felt the same way when they lost their daughter? Did her last caravan truly prepare her for a life out here in the wild?

"Oracle!" She was snapped out of a daydream by the appearance of Skywarn in front of her. The Bogsneak was having a hard time keeping shape in the hot sun of these lands. Even with mechanical support - thank goodness there were tinkerers in  
this herd to keep their parts maintained - some pieces of slimy form oozed out of the metallic supports before dripping to the ground. Skywarn had become quite self conscious of it, like most would expect from a young adult.

"What is it Skywarn?"

"I wanna ask you some things." Skywarn shuffled. They were actually doing this. "Like...about your life and stuff. Y'know-"

Oracle huffed. "There really isn't that much, you know. Nothing important, really."

"Of course there's stuff to know! Like, you had to be born somewhere. What about these people you mention sometimes? Gunnoda? Nuz? Kekki? Who were they?"

Oracle hummed. She knew she should've told them all long ago about the fallen ones before them. They could figure out that Oracle had companions before Florence and Undrad. Sure, Florence would've slipped and told them how they laughed like Nuz used to when he was about to do something he shouldn't. Or that Kekki had a close friend like Quickfoot who was a golem spider he rewired to be friendly.

She watched Skywarn shy away at her outburst and lower her head. Why should she hide them? Wasn't she told that remembering them through memories and stories kept their presence alive..?

"Hey." She gently grabbed on of Skywarns metallic arms. "It's okay. I can tell you all about them. Come, sit with me at the sundial."

The two wandered to the dial and sat at the bottom steps. The sun had warmed the crumbled stone ground into a pleasant resting place and the towering point above them blocked most of the drifting sunlight from their eyes. A grey sky swirled above them. The sun itself played hide-and-seek in the clouds as the herd continued on with life below it. The overall mood was not unpleasant, but still something seemed to linger in the air reminding them that nowhere was truly safe for now.

"Well." Oracle clasped her hands and looked over to Skywarn beside her. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything!" The Bogsneak replied.

"Okay then! So..u-uh.." Oracle stumbled for a moment. Where should she start?

"Well...I don't know where exactly I was born. I don't remember having any parents that looked like me, anyway. I grew up with this caravan of people like Undrad and Florence. More dragon-like. Sometimes people like this herd or the Serthis would appear but never without a dragon nearby claiming them. Anyway...I grew up with them. They never really liked me because I looked and walked different. I never really payed them any attention because I wanted to go out and adventure on my own. There was one older dragon who liked me more than the others and told me a lot of things about surviving."

Oracle took a breath as Skywarn listened on in awe.

"Things like...trust and outsmarting those against you before they can fight you. She was great. Then the day came and I left without many words. Nobody but her seemed to care much and she hugged me." Oracle gave a sad smile. "I was on my own for a bit before coming across someone I knew from the caravan who told me they were attacked by Hunters not long after I left. She...died."

Skywarn seemed to lower her head in mourning for this kind old soul who gave Oracle a chance despite her difference. They thanked her silently.

"We parted ways and then one day I heard a cry out for help. When I went to investigate I found someone tangled in a tree. Nuz. Oh, he had gotten himself into a trap no doubt. He looked like a runebat hanging down like that! I managed to free him before the Hunter came back. We were still so young and gullible. He dared me to steal a satchel or something and I didn't want to, so he did and got shot by an arrow- oh he was okay!" Oracle patted the shocked Skywarn gawping at her.

"It was Gunnoda's satchel. They were strange. Something must've happened to them before we met them. Half of their face was crystalline and her body had mechanical parts like yours." She smiled as Skywarn expression turned to surprise and awe. There was creatures like them out there! "I always wanted to know her story."

"We knew we had to move further into the woodlands when we began noticing drones and traps everywhere. They were enclosing in on us. We found Kekki and Florence at this time too! Kekki was just such a small dragon and he had a golem spider named Nine Ninety Nine...Florence had escaped Hunters and begged to accompany us. Before that though, Gunnoda they...they fell. They tried to clear the path for us but they weren't strong enough on their own. That's why I always have at least two with me whenever I go scouting. Oh, and how could I forget Oda! It was Gunnoda who gave them a chance. We named them in her honor."

Skywarn took the lesson in to heart. She never thought about it much when a big group went out to get food and other stuff, but now she realised that Gunnoda had learned the hard way so that her companions could learn from her mistake. She thanked them. Oracle continued.

"We reached the end of the woodland as four. When we first went into the Scorched Forest, we were overwhelmed. Nuz got lost trying to scout ahead for us, he was found by a Hunter and then we got ambushed by jackalopes. Wicked rabbit-like creatures that can eat through almost anything. They got him."

"Then some days later we were ambushed again by evil golems. Kekki was hit hard and Nines tried to save him but was also hit. He...passed not long after. We were angry and distrustful. We found Quint. He was a Hunter who had been disgraced from duty and I felt something from him. We found an old place together. Florence hated it and tried to get us out of there. Maybe in the end she had good reason..." Oracle took a moment to cough up some flem.

"I saw things in there. There was this strange thing that played imaged on the walls. There was dragons with bright coloured eyes talking about something that happened. Only one of them spoke about things like a 'Boss' and 'other...dee-ah-tee-ays?'" Oracle tried desperately to pronounce it right. "Anyway, while Quint watched I saw something. Something that looked like...Mooney. Yes, them. They were in that place. Just lying on a table and they weren't moving. I couldn't see their mask or face. Then..." She pursed her lips. Skywarn anticipated the next chapter.

"HE came. That so-called SQUALL. Was it you or Horizon who was with me when he destroyed Mooney..? Anyway, he came to destroy Quint and injured myself and Florence. I can't remember anything else other than Undrad waking us up in the Delta. He also had an egg with him-"

"Me!" Skywarn interrupted and beamed. Oracle chuckled.

"Yes! You! We spent quite some time in those parts. You must remember it more than me now, the rock pools and the sand...then Undrad and I had an egg between us. Horizon, and I couldn't thank the universe more for my son."

"You're starting to sound so much like Sowia." Skywarn giggled.

"Really? speaking of which-" Oracle nodded towards the approaching centaur. "-I hope you got what you were looking for, Skywarn. It's important to keep the memories of our passed alive so one day someone could do the same for you." She stood up slowly and stretched before going off to meet with Sowia.

Skywarn sat there taking it all in. Oracle had truly been through so many trials and adventure. It made them anxious knowing one day it could be them in charge and having to be leader. The thought of losing Horizon or Oracle or even Jvlin was a lot to take to heart. Even then, what if they fell first? They decided to contemplate all this later and headed down to the river to meet up with Horizon and the rest.

### Moeller

The cyan hybrid and her aged centaur companion whipped around to see the sight of stampeding hooves and claws towards them. Being carried above the heads of Merrie and Skywarn was a stranger. A dragon. 'Wildclaw' Oracle realised.

A maroon figure was laid out in front of them. They were bipedal like Florence was. They even had her familiar crest of feathers crowning their head. The only difference was how young they were. They were barely out of their adolescent stage, perhaps just few days older than Horizon at most. Arrows spilled out of their makeshift holster when they were laid down on the ground. An archer.

"We found them unconscious in the river." A worried Merrie told them. "One of the foals spotted something floating and when we realised it was a dragon, Horizon swam in and dragged them out! I managed to get some water out of their lungs but they should be checked over."

Everyone gasped. A few centaurs had gathered around by now and approached Horizon with respect and pats on the back congratulating him for his bravery. The shy teenager slunk back towards his big sister as the medical experts of the herd crowded around the foreigner.

Oracle and Sowia took the group aside towards Sowias tent. As they did Horizon quickly bent down and picked up some of the scattered arrows off the ground. He stowed them carefully into one large pocket of his borrowed coat. Once everyone was settled Sowia poured cups of tea for everyone out of a splendid porcelain pot and Oracle began questioning.

"You found them floating, right?"

"Yes." Merrie replied and her charges nodded in agreement.

"They were already out of it by the time you saw them? Did they wake up at all?"

'Only once Horizon had him on the shore. They spluttered but couldn't say anything and then fell asleep. We never saw how they ended up in the river. I'm worried for them."

"They'll be fine, Merrie." Sowia spoke between a sip of hot tea. "I believe you got them here in time."

Oracle bit her lower lip. "I need to know something. Horizon," She looked over her son from the edge of her own cup. "... How long have you been able to swim?"

Her son shrunk into his coat. He clearly didn't have an answer for her then and there, or may be he was embarrassed. 'Why?' Oracle found herself pondering. She had never been able to swim. Certainly Merrie and Skywarn didn't have the athletic talent nor bodies to swim so efficiently. Her son was seemingly born to do it. A hero of the waters, as proven today.

Maybe it was those dream dragons again..? Oracle suddenly remembered something her dearest Gunnoda said so long ago when they first met.

_"You feel their presence too?"_

### Looking Forward

Moeller woke up with a headache. That was an understatement, his head was pounding with the drums of an angry mob smashing against his skull. He groaned pitifully. As he unstuck his sleep stricken eyelids from one another and adjusted to the light pouring through, he briefly heard a gasp before whatever was beside him jumped up and left a breeze in their wake.

Who knew wind could cause such pain!

Before he could bury himself under his blanket Moeller was surprised by the appearance of one, two...five figures in the light? He frowned. Just where was he? Where did he come from and where was he meant to be going?

"You've got a lot of unanswered questions, dear. Take a moment to get yourself adjusted to the light." The figure of an old horse-looking woman spoke up. Moeller squealed as a Ridgeback appeared from behind the group and bolted towards them.

The blue-eyed dragon reached over and clasped the carmine Wildclaws hands. "You're alive! Oh praise the stars!" They beamed. Moeller blinked. Did he know this guy?

"You're questioning yourself again." smiled Sowia kindly as she trotted up towards them with another cyan-and-white bipedal beside her. Moeller's eyes finally adjusted and he could make out the two figures standing in the entrance of his room as another centaur and a dragon-like being he had never seen the likes of before. The elderly centaur handed him a water flask which he gulped down gratefully. The bipedal beside her gently pulled the Ridgeback away and took their place at the side of his bed.

"Wah-wha-what happened..?" Moeller murmured huskily. He couldn't help giving a wince in pain as he yawned. Whatever it was it gave him one killer of a migraine.

"We were about to ask you the same thing." Oracle replied. "We found you floating in a river around this area. Unconscious. My so-this boy here, Horizon-" she turned and brought forward the Ridgeback again. "-swam in and saved your life."

Moeller blinked. He didn't like swimming. Blot, he loathed water. It was great as a drink but everything else from puddles to ponds were a nightmare. How could he have ended up in a river? He didn't even like to be near them! "Ohhh kay..?"

Oracle bit her lower lip. "Do you know who you are at least?"

"Yeah. I'm Moeller. Mow-ehl-eer. I- hey, where's my bow?" Moeller sat up suddenly, spilling some water from the flask still in his hands in the process. His brow lowered and he clenched the almost empty flask. "My bow? Did any of you take my bow?" He seemed aggressive to know the fate of his weapon. Sowia crinkled her nose and stepped backwards in disbelief.

"Calm down." Oracle hissed in reply to his sudden aggression. "It's right there by the side of the bed. Your arrows are also there, Horizon made sure to go back and collect them all for you."

"Ah." Moeller lowered his head and fell quiet. Horizon himself didn't seem fazed by the unpredictable switch of tones from the Wildclaw. Instead he just beamed at the newcomer with a friendly, obliviously innocent smile.

"I hope we can be friends, Moeller!"

### Onwards

When the tents started coming down and the news that the journey to the Blooming Gardens would commence, Oracle could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. She hated staying put it one area for so long. Memories of times past would flood her dreams at night. Visions of an egg vanished from an empty nest being carried away by snakes woke her up with such force that one night she lay in a pool of her own cool sweat and a broken scream cried out in a bid to escape her dry throat.

Still, the ruined sundial and surrounding meadows were picturesque to the eye; the rivers clear enough of pollution to nourish life back into the body of those wishing to rest up on their travels. Unless you were Moeller.

The Wildclaw was now up from his place in the medical tent. Another day of rest and some strong painkilling herbs from the Woodland soon kicked him out from his painful chamber. At first he just lingered around alone and sharpened his arrows under the watchful eye of Sowia. Horizon would be the only one to actually sit beside him and talk to him about anything and everything that happened to him that day. Moeller never shushed him or shooed him away when the Ridgeback blabbered on about the prickly leaf that stung his finger or how he managed to balance not one, but TWO buckets of water on his long nose. It appeared he almost enjoyed the company of the inexperienced youngster.

Horizon had also introduced him to Skywarn, the Ridgebacks older sister and the weird dragon Moeller had never seen the likes of in his life. "Of course, we're not EXACTLY siblings, Skywarn's egg was found by my Paw but my Maw and Paw made mine li-" Oracle had quickly shot over and hushed him with a quick smile and understanding nod to Moeller.

As they took down the tent where the dragons slept, Horizon pointed out to Moeller to look at something. A crossbow. Gunnoda's crossbow. Moeller dropped the canvas to the ground and clambered over towards it. He held it with awe as he delicately traced along the metallic finish. Horizon giggled and also dropped his collection of tent pegs to kneel beside him. "That's my Maws!" he proclaimed. "Well, it was my auntie Gunnoda's. She's dead now."

"Horizon..." Moeller turned to look at the Ridgeback and whispered. His voice almost cracked into a whimper. "This is a Hunters weapon."

"Well, uh, maybe. Sometimes Hunters leave stuff lying around and we borrow it. Maw says they don't mind, otherwise they wouldn't have left it."

"No, no, I mean, I...think I know this Hunter."

"Horizon?"

The two dragons threw themselves backwards in fright and tangled into the rolls of canvas. Clambering through the fabric they looked up almost identically to face the upside down face of Oracle. Quickly they rolled over, Moeller taking care to not crush the crossbow in his hands. Oracle narrowed her eyes and pouted. "What are you two doing? I thought Sowia asked you to help dismantle the tents."

"Well we technically have already." Moeller shrugged and handed her the bow which she quickly took from his hands. Horizon nodded eagerly in agreement.

"And I suppose then Horizon decided to take you on a tour through my things then..?"

"Oh no ma'am," Moeller quickly defended the Ridgeback as he rocked himself back and forth nervously. "We were just moving your things so they...didn't get lost under all this canvas, is all."

Oracle huffed and gave a half smile. "Alright then. The two of you clean this mess up and then go help Jvlin with the rest of the packing." She watched the two stare back up at her before she brought them out of their dissociation with a clap. "Chop chop! Sowia's wanting us to begin walking by sunset!"

The two youngsters scrambled back upright and picked up the scattered pegs. "Hey," Moeller put a hand on one of Horizon's bony shoulders. "I can tell you some more stuff later when we're walking out."

Horizon simply hummed and smiled. He loved story time.


	6. The Blooming Grove

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter from August 19th to present.

### River Rapid & Checkpoint

> [The herd and the party come to a large, miles wide river. Horizon wants to swim it to see if he can find a way to cross much to the disapproval of the herd and his maw. Oracle, Moeller and Horizon decide to split from the herd to find a way across whilst ordering Jvlin to take the herd and Skywarn to find a spot to rest. The trio comes across several disgruntled fuirans and nesting seekers as they look for materials. The herd later reunites with the trio after their previous battles against the fuirans and seekers. There's been no luck in finding a bridge or bridge materials to get across the river, so they decide to camp at the herds resting point for a while to think. As they wander through a meadow of strange, fluffy plants something catches the attention of Horizon. A tiny, dark figure spotted with yellow quickly darts between the bushy grass. Moeller slaps his back and tells him he's imagining things. Horizon laughs. Maybe he just is? Until Moeller turns around and is surprised to see a young, playful scaleback following his tail. He picks up the spiky thing. Horizon says what he saw didn't look anything like the scaleback. Still, Moeller decides to keep it, how adorable are those little claws and teeth!]

### Checkpoint Pt. 2

"It's no use Oracle," Began Sowia over a cup of Light's Breath tea. Jvlin shuffled beside her, rocking himself from hoof to hoof. "There's simply no way across that river."

"-and that's because it is no river." replied Oracle. Oda cradled around her shoulders in mimic to the fur lining to her old coat and cawed comfortably. "It's the Vast Ocean. The same one that held the Icefields your herd came from. The one that destroyed entire coastlines like in your stories."

Sowia froze from a sip. "Well, then it appears we have all been fooled. You cannot simply expect to cross the Vast Ocean without payment.

"Hasn't your herd done it before? What payment..?"

Sowia resumed her sips. "We lost a quarter of our kind to the waves. Another to toxic smog the pollution brought forth." Jvlin bit his lower lip and sat down beside his mother. He comforted her with a few hand rubs on her shoulder to swipe away the sore memories. "Do not think me a coward though, Oracle, I'm not giving up here. I've come too far for my herd - for my SON - to let the ocean defeat me now. I will fight through it again. We are going to make it to the Blooming Gardens, and that is my final wish."

Oracle nodded in awe at the power in Sowia's commands. A true leader. "I've sent Skywarn, Moeller and Horizon off to scout around. The three need more time to get used to each other without me. They might come back with something that can get us across without heavy losses this time."

### The Sight

A large, clawed hand reached over and clasped tightly around the pulsating glass orb in front of her. "Useless!" The voice belonging to the hand spat out.

"Oh I can assure you, The Most Powerful-est One, that is NOT a representation of my most trained soldiers." The powerful voice of SQUALL boomed across the dark chamber. "I will ensure those idiots receive the most correctly suitable punishment for their failures."

"That is not what I care about." The aging voice pointed into the glass orb as the swirling vision of Oracle and the centaurs slicing through fields of tall grass. "That one. Why aren't they dealt with yet!?"

"Oh. That disgusting hybrid thing. I swear to you, Most Powerful One, that I will do everything in my power to crush that unworthy waste of space like the pesty insect she is. Besides, cut me some slack. I've dealt with her precious friends in the past. The rogue hunter. Criminal scum raiding our claimed labs. Gunnoda. That Mirror and his golem you were afraid of-"

SQUALL yelped as large claws turned around and slashed across his face. "I AM NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING!" the masked bulgy figure shrieked out before hunching back down in front of their orb. With movements of their hand swirling pink and black inside the orb they changed the scenery of Oracle to that of the group of Horizon, Skywarn, Moeller and their newfound companion Zash. They grumbled something before tapping the glass to where Skywarn was happily skipping alongside her companions. "...I don't like the sight of this one."

"Neither do I, Your Greatness, yet that one came from one of ou- your own labs in the Dead Zone." SQUALL's booming voice wavered in a tone unlikely to be heard from him. "It was being held in a temporary lab in the south to be transferred up here befo-before-"

"Yes. I saw it all." The strange figure rested their head in one hand and tapped their long claws against their wooden table with another. SQUALL jumped up in surprise as they suddenly banged a fist on the surface. "I want that one taken to me alive! Kill all their pesky friends, especially that forsaken hybrid! And as for that Gloomed lizard, I want it back here too! Do not fail me this time, SQUALL-" An arm of foreign, jet-black energy shot up and held the lightning-charged dragon in a chokehold. His bright eyes rolled back into grey as his power was sucked out from his body before returning as he was dropped onto the creaking floorboards. "You know the consequences if you do."

"Of course, O' Most Powerful One, I will not." He spluttered out black gunk between words. "I won't fail you ever again." Quickly he pushed himself up and, spreading his large crackling wings, lunged out of a window into a thunderous flight across the ocean and around the towering, bent rock formations surrounding the wicked creature's keep. They watched him go with his accompanying dark skies and lightning gradually fading from view before returning to their glass orb. "It's rotten luck to make promises you won't keep." they snarled under their breath.

### Courage to be Found

The trio debated amongst themselves. "We should go and see if Yova is alright." Moeller muttered as he unwrapped his arm from Skywarn's shoulders and lifted himself up from his knees. "Are you's coming with me?"

"Yeah." Skywarn replied. Horizon nodded and gulped, following his companions.  
Together the three began making their way through the blowing flowers towards Yova. Moeller nudged Horizon. "You think you can call out to her? She knows you somewhat better than me." Horizon gulped again.

"Hah-hey-" He stuttered. "Hey-hey, Yova! It's me: Horizon and Skywarn!"

"Are you okay?" Skywarn called out.

The teen centaur jumped up at the call of her name before freezing on the spot.

"Horizon? Is that really you over there? Oh I'm so scared!" She suddenly galloped towards the three dragons. The large rock in her saddle bags bounced with every gallop as if trying to escape. She reached Horizon and crashed into the larger dragon, holding him tight.

"What happened!?" Moeller's eyes widened. "Is the herd alright? Are we under attack? We haven't even been gone that long!"

Yova sniffled. "Oh, no. I don't know. I- I-" She sobbed. "I wanted to be brave! So I followed another scouting group along to a forest. I just wanted to see what it was like and be like you three."

Skywarn leaned closer and held the sobbing youth. Moeller followed, creating a group hug. "Oh Yova. That wasn't a very good idea. You should have come with us!"

Yova breathed in slowly as she began to calm down. "I know. But then out of nowhere there was this large thing and other beasts armed with spears and weird things that went 'BANGBANGBANG', and- an-." More tears fell from the centaur's wet eyes. "They got some of the patrollers! Then-the-then Mr. Riko, the patrol leader, spotted me and shouted for me to grab this hot egg thing! I did just as your maw appeared and defeated the big thingy! I was so scared I ran away and didn't know what to do and lost my direction." Yova finished and sobbed into Horizon.

There was a moment of silence as they waited for the teen to calm down.

"So..." Moeller began. "You say you've found an EGG? Like, a DRAGON egg?!" The astonished Wildclaw spoke up.

"I don't know. I'm so sleepy now..." Yova mumbled back.

Horizon picked her up and placed her around his shoulders, the two of them looking like fur lining to Horizon's coat. She slumped over, with all the running and sobbing taking its toll and lulling her into a fast sleep. Skywarn quickly ran under her younger brother just as the egg slipped from the teens saddle bag to the ground. "Ooof! Quick thinking Sky!" Horizon looked down and praised.

"We need to get back to the herd. Oracle must be fretting so much right now." Skywarn - with her sludgy legs now formed back into shape - began to lead the company of dragons and centaur back towards their last campsite.

When they arrived they were all greeted by a large group of concerned centaurs. The familiar colours of cyan and white made their way through the crowd along with elder Sowia. Horizon gently lowered the awakening Yova to the elder centaur who calmly took her through the crowd and back to her tent. Oracle opened her arms and pulled the three dragons into a hug as the crowd began to disperse.

"Did you get back here without being followed?" She questioned sternly.

"Of course, maw." Horizon rolled his eyes. "We're not babies anymore."

"We've had enough surprises already today, young man. That's enough attitu- Skywarn? What is that?" Oracle's attention quickly turned to the foreign object in Skywarn's arms. The girl grinned as innocently as she could. "Yova found it." She squeaked.

Oracle realised. She overcame her protective senses and stepped towards Skywarn. "The egg. Yova ran off with it when Riko's patrol was ambushed. I'm so glad you found her and are safe. I'm sorry for snapping." She pulled the dragons into another hug, causing Moeller to flash a look of embarrassment to the nearest centaur. "They took the egg from the ambushers once we defeated them. It could be a dragon, or something else. I've never seen one so...boulder-like and feeling like hot ashes before."

Oracle remembered for a moment back to when Horizon was still just an egg. Over time it became more solid and barnacle-like as it matured and came to hatch. Could this one be ready to hatch any moment now?

"Come, you three. The good news is that we may have also just found our way to the Blooming Gardens. We should incubate this egg as soon as we can. As always, thank the stars you are all safe."

### Familiar Faces

They were all in tune to the drill now. Tents went down with bits and bobs packed into saddle bags and rucksacks of all sizes. Oracle stretched up as she pulled the final knot into place on one of Horizon's many backpacks. In a sling around her neck lay the strange boulder-egg on her chest, pillowed with feathers of various birds as well as ones she had shed and kept stored. She smelt like burnt cinders and fire smoke.

Moeller swooped from centaur-to-centaur, holding this and passing that before assisting Skywarn with last-minute stitching to a torn pack. Yova - the teen centaur rescued earlier - was now feeling much better and was accompanying Jvlin as he made rounds around the site. It was important to make sure there was no evidence left behind to show that they were ever there, especially with one ambush already claiming two members of the herd just recently.

An hour and a half passed before everyone was counted for and lined up ready to move to where Sowia had agreed to meet the boatman who would take them across the Vast Ocean. The old centaur had learned her lesson before, she told Oracle privately one night, of making their own rafts to cross the ocean. 'I looked back to scenes of tragedy that will forever ripple in my memories, Oracle.' she had sobbed into the hybrid's feathery shoulder. Now she stood tall at the head of her convoy of centaurs with the dragons by her side. In her mind this was the one and only chance of getting her tribe the home they deserved. She took the first few steps as she beckoned her herd to follow her into the fields of gold and beyond to the sparkling and inviting blue in the distance.

It wasn't long before the herd was close to the boatmans location. In small groups Sowia led her people down a steep cliff face to where the abyssmal blue now deceived them and clawed upwards to their feet like a cat to a branch of plump birds. Finally, they stood and faced the ocean. Between the herd and the Vast Ocean was a familiar orange dragon, and Oracle was surprised when she recognised that hooded figure and their strange, yapping fluffball. It was Ortoros, the merchant who travelled the realm and provided Oracle and her group with knowledge, clothing and battlestones ever since her days of adventuring with Nuz and Florence. Floating behind him and tied to a makeshift pier with rope was a medium-sized boat painted in white and gold. It appeared stable and roomy enough to cram a couple dozen centaurs and one large Horizon on board with little squeeze.

"Top of the afternoon to you all!" Ortoros cheerfully called out. "I hope nobody is feeling too sea sick before we even board you all." He approached Sowia and Oracle who stood by the elders side. "Of course, port fees and all that, I'm afraid I must ask of you to part with some coin before we cross."

"Anything-" Oracle passed a heavy homemade knapsack of leaves to Sowia who placed it in Ortoros's bony hand. "-for my herd to make it across safely. My trust - and indeed, our lives - are in your hands. Take us to the Blooming Gardens."

The merchant pulled open the string and quickly counted the coins that fell into his palm. He beamed and began waving the herd towards his painted boat. His spaniel pup barked as they led the way towards the hold. "Wonderful! All hands on deck, everyone! Two at a time now; no pushing!!"

### Siren

Horizon lost count of the number of seasick centaurs as the boat trundled up and down and up again towards an empty distance. "I don't even feel like flying." Moeller padded up to the Ridgeback and sighed. "It's just drawn the energy from right out of me."

"Same here." Replied Horizon. "Well, I'm not so much sea sick like...that" He turned around to a young centaur who grappled with the railings of the boat in a bid to stand properly. "I just don't like feeling cramped in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to rock the boat. I mean-" He gave a small smile. "I wouldn't mind taking a swim along."

Moeller raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you? If there's anyone who knows you're more than capable of swimming the ocean, it's me." He chuckled.  
Horizon pondered for a moment before remembering. "Ah yeah." The two dragons shared a laugh. "The river."

The two were interrupted by a sudden yell from the front of the ferry. Ortoros quickly cut off power to the engine and clambered forwards from the stern to the source of the commotion. As the boat slowly drifted to a stop both Horizon and Moeller joined Ortoros and a group of fearful centaurs at the bow of the boat. At least six or seven heads locked gaze with them and pushed forward sharp spears and tridents in a threatening manner.

Inside the hold of the vessel oblivious to the danger outside, Skywarn paced the damp floorboards mindlessly. Tucked up warm in a makeshift nest of canvas and feathers was the egg. She wondered if it even needed the extra warmth. During the time it had been with the herd it began to crack ever so slightly with a hot orange liquid. When the young Bogsneak had asked Oracle she said that she had been taught to incubate any eggs that way. That was what the hybrid had done with Skywarn and Horizon, even when the latter's egg eventually crusted over into a strange barnacle-like coat. Skywarn was suddenly snapped out of her blank state by an audible crunch.

The Bogsneak jumped and immediately scrambled through a door to where Oracle was story-telling with Yova and other centaur foals. "Maw!" Skywarn called out in a frantic daze. "The egg! The egg!"

"What about the egg?" A more calm Oracle replied.

"It's hatching!"

Oracle pardoned herself to the foals before quickly following Skywarn into the other room. As she approached the egg both her and Skywarn's attention were abruptly interrupted by a yell from above. Oracle's face froze.

"Skywarn." She told the bewildered youth. "I want you to take the egg next door with the foals and look after them all. I'll be going on deck to see what's going on. I want you to promise me you will stay down here at all costs."

Oracle leapt up into the face of danger the moment she swung open the trapdoor and grabbed an attacking maren by the cheek fin. The creature screeched in pain as Oracle ripped it off before knocking them out cold and throwing them back into the cold waters. The hybrid was then faced with the sight of warfare as her son and Moeller scrapped and swiped at the never-ending assault of maren. Ortoros, Jvlin and Sowia were nowhere to be seen in the crowd of panicked centaurs desperately trying to climb out of the ocean before the maren dragged them under.

"Maw?! Where's Skywarn!?" Horizon called out as he ripped a trident from the arms of an ambusher and sent it deep into the surprised maren with a cry.

"She's fine! She's....fine!" Oracle rushed forward, fuelled by maternal instinct to protect her children as she finished of the stabbed maren in Horizon's hand. "What is this?!"

"Pirates was what Ortoros cried out before he wussed off!" Moeller growled. "These beasts think we're carrying gold or something!" He cried out in frustration as he leapt and tried frantically to grab a centaurs hoofs before they disappeared below into the unknown. Hot tears burned down his cheeks as he realised that he didn't even have a clue about how this happened.

Oracle was stunned. The sight became too much to bear as more centaurs fell from the torn flank of the boat and water began cascading onto the deck. Then as suddenly as they appeared the maren vanished back under water. Horizon and Moeller gasped in desperation for air as thye wiped the blood and sweat from their faces.

Bursting through the trap door came Skywarn with the egg and foals weeping in her arms. "The hold is flooding! The-" The words where snatched from her breath as she witnessed the aftermath of the carnage with her own eyes. She stood and watched even as the hatching egg burned into her chest. Sombre moments of silence passed before Oracle made an unusual move. Horizon tried to pull her back, but she pushed her son away firmly. "All of you. Fly. Swim away. Now."

Oracle stepped through bodies to the raising bow of the boat. She looked down. "Explosive."

Moeller felt his limbs being stretched apart as he heard Oracle utter one last line to no-one before he was blinded by a white light and everything turned to black.  
"I'll be there with you soon."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Be still, friend. You're gone now."

Oracle opened her eyes at the touch of a cool metallic hand on hers. She was greeted with a bundle of feathers as Oda nuzzled into her neck. The hybrid was lying flat on the ground. Everything was far too bright for her eyes to handle as she squinted to make sense of her sorroundings. She realised. Oda? Oda had gone missing after they left the sundial. Were they..?

"Hey, I mean it." The voice again. It wasn't hostile. In fact, it was almost playful. Oracle melted into a small smile.

"Nuz. Gunnoda."

"We're all here feathers." A familiar dirt-coloured grin appeared into her sight. She turned her head to meet Gunnoda's bright lime eyes before turning back to Nuz. Behind him, two Ridgebacks looked down in a loving daze. Oracle's attention was quickly drawn to fierce hug from her right as feathery silver arms covered her. She turned and noticed Kekki with Nines behind the figure, watching and smiling distantly as they tinkered with a familiar, now content, pink digital figure.

"Here you are sweetpea." Florence mumbled in her tight hug. "You've done so well."

"The children are on their own now." Oracle abruptly sat up with her past companions holding her. She burst into tears.

"Don't worry, love." Quint knelt down and held her face in his hands. "They learned from the very best. A true fighter. They'll be fine.

"They'll change the world, I promise you." Undrad rubbed her shoulders gently. "Our son and daughter had the greatest mother any creature could wish for."

Oracle sniffed. "Is this the afterlife then? What now?"

"Oh, no." Kekki crawled over to the weepy hybrid. "You're being called to another plane of existence. Your actions in this world have taken the interest of several deities. We'll see you over as soon as you're ready." The Mirror cuddled into his old friend.

Oracle's face dropped in dumbfoundment. "The deities haven't truly abandoned us..."

Nuz chipped in. "Weirdly enough, no! Kinda, yeah? In our plane anyway? Confusing stuff." He giggled. "Anyway. I think it's time to wake up feathers. You need to go."

Oracle let her companions lift her to her feet. She breathed in deeply and wiped the falling tears from her eyes. "Can I see the kids before I go? Can I see them at all when I'm gone?"

"Unfortunately, we can't find them right now." Mooney levitated forward. "I assure you though, they are not here. They are very much alive. We don't know what awaits you in the next plane. We assure you though, we will guide your young and protect them." It nodded sternly.

Oracle nodded and gulped her tears down. "Okay. I'm ready. It's been so good to see you all again, my closest friends. Rest peacefully and watch over my children. Goodbye..."

###### Bonus

A pale glass-like Pearlcatcher pulled open his creaky door as the morning sun began to heat the dry sand of Guardianite territory. It was another day of transporting ships up and down the lock before a little lunch meeting with Batholith, the coast keeper. Then back to work. Nothing out of the ordinary. Another day, another dollar as they saying went.

Vanek had barely reached the latch of his picket gate before he heard a familiar rumbling and saw a Guardian figure coming along the horizon. It was Batholith. He looked frantic.

"Help me out here, Vanek. I found this rugged harpy...thing unconscious down by the Sea. I think they need medical help."

The Pearlcatcher rolled his eyes. "Just as I was about to begin the day too. Alright, Bath, put them on the cart and we'll take them to Valentine in Menireach." He looked at the figure as he wrapped them decently in a canvas cloth. "Weird thing. Maybe Bonnie might have a book on 'em or somethin'. Anyway, let's go."


End file.
